One Final Stride
by Owen96
Summary: Twenty contestants. One deathly game. They must fight for their lives in a nightmare world created by their old enemy, Tabuu. It's either kill or be killed. Twenty will enter...but only one will come out. It's The Final Stride.
1. Death

**Hey, everyone! Welcome to my new story! This one will be a lot different than the others, for reasons you will see when you read the story. For this story I got a lot of inspiration from a story called 'One Last Dance' by Rhylitah. It is definitely one of my most favourite stories ever. This is a Super Smash Bros Story. This story will also not feature comedy, like nearly every other story I've uploaded before. It will be in-depth and dramatic. I really hope you enjoy, because I've been planning this story for a long time. Please read and review! **

**...**

Nana Climber walked through the dusty plains, pulling her pink parka closer to her body for warmth. She dragged her trusty hammer behind her. Thoughts were spinning in her mind. Why was she invited back to the Smash Mansion after years of ignorance? Would her brother, Popo, be there? What will happen? She had heard about the new competition that was happening. The little girl and her brother had competed in the previous two, but they still hadn't been asked to join the latest one. The wind blew the thoughts out of her mind as she came across a gigantic castle. She gaped at its size, then smiled.

_The Smash Mansion._

She had made so many friends here. Olimar...Mario...Link...Peach...She couldn't hold in her excitement and squealed happily, dashing towards the towering gates. She used her gloved hand to knock the door. A slot opened in the gate and a mechanical eye came out. A green line of data scanned her up and down.

_"Waiting on information." The scanner said. "Information received."_

Nana breathed a sigh of relief. At least she wasn't totally forgotten. The green line of data disappeared, the machine eyeing her.

_"Nana Climber. Brother of Popo Climber. Has competed in two out of three of the Smash tournaments, and is currently awaiting results on her taking part in the fourth one." The machine said._

"No need to make fun of me..." Nana said under her breath so the machine couldn't hear her.

_"Enter." The machine said. "You are the last contestant to arrive."_

"Contestant?" Nana said, puzzled.

She was gently blown back as the gates opened. She could tell they had been modernised. They opened smoothly. She quietly entered the courtyard. Her shoes made echoey noises as she walked along the stone path. She went into a corridor, which was narrow and long. As she walked, the noise of voices got louder and louder. She eventually found the source, which was beyond the dining room door. She took a deep breath. Was she ready for this? To see her old friends? To see...Popo? She hadn't seen her own brother for years. What would she say to him?

"Shut up." She whispered to herself. "Just calm down."

But she couldn't calm down. As she placed her hand on the handle, she started shaking. The noises seemed to get louder. She felt dizzy. The voices swirled around in her head. She opened the door and stepped inside. The room suddenly went deathly quiet as everybody inside rested their eyes upon Nana. She let a quick smile escape her lips before she walked over to a chair and sat down. She still felt dizzy...maybe coming here wasn't such a good idea...Nobody talked to her, which was good. Or was it? Maybe they didn't like her? Oh, she was such an idiot for-

"Nana?" A gentle voice spoke.

She looked up to see a boy, around the same size as her looking at the little girl, his eyes widened in surprise. He wore an identical parka to hers, but his was blue, not pink. He was also holding a hammer. Popo. Her brother, Popo Climber.

"..." Nana stayed quiet. "Popo."

"Nana? You got invited?" Popo's voice was reduced to a whisper.

"Yeah. What's so wrong about it?" Nana placed her hands on her hips and scowled.

"Leave now." He turned around. "It's too dangerous."

"What? What's too dangerous? Popo?" Nana placed her hand on his shoulder, but he didn't answer.

He simply started walking away. Nana suddenly felt rage build up inside her. She gripped her brother's hand and pulled him around so their eyes met.

"What is it?" She scowled.

"Nana, let go-" Popo began, trying to shake free, but his sister had an iron grip.

He sighed, and lead his sister to a chair. She sat down and looked up at him. Popo was never like this. What was going on? She looked at everyone else.

"Nana, we've been chosen to enter a deadly competition-" Popo began when the doors opened quickly, slamming into the walls.

_Competition? What was he talking about? _Nana thought. _Wait a minute. She remembered that weird machine thing talking about her being the final contestant. Final contestant for what?_

_"Hello, everyone." A familiar voice said creepily._

Everybody gasped. A strange man who looked like he was made out of energy entered the room. Electricity flickered around him, and you could even see his heart.

"N-no..." Olimar whispered.

Everybody was shocked except for Popo. He knew what was going on. He was clever and had worked it out.

"T-Tabuu...I-I don't understand..." Captain Falcon said.

The room was completely silent. Tabuu floated through it, smirking at everyone, who slowly backed away.

_"Before I begin, I need to make sure everyone is here." Tabuu said._

He scanned the contestants and grinned widely. He floated up to the top of the room to get a better view.

_"Olimar, Link, Princess Peach, Princess Zelda, Popo Climber, Nana Climber, Ike, Samus Aran, Marth, Roy, Mega Man, Villager, Wii Fit Trainer, Little Mac, Rosalina, Toon Link, Snake, Captain Falcon, Luigi and Ganondorf. Welcome...to your fate." Tabuu said._

The contestants' eyes widened to the size of lightbulbs. Sweat trickled down their foreheads. Tabuu grinned at this.

_"Death. Murder. Fate. I have witnessed all of this before. How do you think I felt, having to face over twenty of you? I just wanted to create a perfect world...for my family...and you had to ruin it." He narrowed his eyes, his voice getting lower. "I was actually...scared. I was all alone in that dark tunnel...I...I didn't know what to do. I eventually used all of my magic to escape, and I came back here. It's taken me years, but it'll be worth it." _

Tabuu's grin widened. The contestants felt frightened. What would he do to them?

_"Revenge. That's what I want. Revenge. On all of you." Tabuu smirked. "The ones that I haven't chosen are lucky. They get to live for another few years..."_

"But...but...what are you going to do with us?" Villager asked.

"This is not fair! I had nothing to do with this!" Wii Fit Trainer cried.

_"But, Trainer, I don't want it to happen again." The electricity on Tabuu's body sparkled, as if it were excited. "You will all be playing a game. A deadly game. Twenty of you will enter the nightmare, but only one of you will come out."_

The contestants gulped. This was it. They had to fight for their life. They had to fight their friends and family to keep going. But wait...he hadn't said that yet! Maybe they still had a chance!

_"You must fight your friends and family to keep going." Tabuu said, and the contestants' hearts sank. "Once you enter the nightmare world, you will appear in an area with another person. This person will be your enemy. Your foe. You must use the weapon I give you to kill them. If you kill them, you will move on to round two, which will have a different system. But I will explain all that to you later..." _

"No, I refuse to believe it..." Toon Link shook his head.

"I can't fight...I won't fight..." Peach whispered.

_"If you refuse to fight, both of you will be killed. Oh, and I forgot. If you die in the nightmare world, you die in real life." Tabuu said with a smirk. "You will all be transported to your respective areas in about ten seconds. Well, your spirits will. Your bodies will lay here, unconscious, until the winner eventually regains their sanity. Goodbye."_

The characters realised their were disappearing into data. They all screamed in terror as they watched their friends disappear. Eventually, they were all gone. Tabuu let out a menacing laugh that shook the entire room.

_"Nobody will make fun of me ever again." _

**...**

**I hope you enjoyed this! Sorry for it being so short, but the next chapters will definitely increase a lot in length. Please leave a review, and if you enjoyed this please read Rhylitah's 'One Last Dance.' Oh, and by the way, Nana is not the main character, I just needed a character for the first chapter to focus on. In the next chapter the battles will begin. Please stay tuned!**


	2. Family

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I really appreciate it. When the second round starts, which won't be for a few chapters, I will release a poll where you can vote for who your favourite character is and who you want to win. Round two will also have a completely different system, but I won't mention it. Here's the second chapter!**

**...**

Snake opened his eyes and scanned the area. _Where am I? _He was in a green, healthy field, with the sun shining high above him. On the horizon were faint lines of data, shining green. He was in an imaginary world. _Tabuu's nightmares. _His body was still in the mansion, unconscious, while his spirit was up here, fighting. But the part that pained him the most was the fact that he couldn't do anything about it. Nothing at all. To move on and have a chance of surviving...he had to kill. What if he was facing a kid? Like Popo or Nana? Or his one true love, Samus? He would never hurt her. He would never face Samus. He had to win, so he could see her again. He walked along the path, dust clouds coming out from under his boots. He wielded his machete, looking out for any signs of danger. The weapon gleamed silver from the sunlight. He smirked. His opponent...his victim...was hiding from him.

"Coward." He muttered under his breath.

He looked around again. The only thing he saw was the field, stretching out for miles, probably even beyond the lines of data. He gripped his machete tightly, diving into the grass. He crawled through it easily, having learned it from soldier camp before he eventually became a spy. His army suit helped him camouflage so his opponent couldn't see him if they decided to come out of their hiding spot. The sun blazed down on him and he felt really hot, but he didn't have any water. Tabuu took everything they had before the fights, except for their original clothes. Suddenly, he felt the grass wave behind him. He swiftly turned around and slammed his machete down...into the ground. Nobody was there.

"What?" Snake stood up and looked around.

He couldn't see anyone. Either this person was really quick...or they could camouflage! Snake smirked and started randomly stabbing his machete into the grass, hoping to find his victim. After about five minutes of doing that, he realised it was useless and he crouched down, blending into the grass once again. He stayed deathly quiet, the setting turning peaceful. _Wait, what was that?_ He was certain he just saw a green cap disappear in the grass. _There it is again! _He had found his victim. Snake crept over to the area, then leapt into the air, yelling. Luigi screamed in terror, barely managing to roll out of the way. The machete slammed into the ground, getting stuck. Snake tried to pull it out as Luigi scooted away in fright.

"Luigi? It's you?" Snake said. "Your my opponent?"

"I-it's looks like...y-yeah..." Luigi's hand fished into his pocket, searching for something.

He pulled it out and opened his palm. A blue coloured liquid was inside some kind of injection. Snake's eyes widened in horror. _Needles. _He tugged at the machete.

"S-say, Luigi, what's in those?" Snake asked anxiously.

"Oh, some kind of poison, I-I think." Luigi said, clearly nervous.

Luigi gently squeezed the button of the needle to see if it worked and a little bit of the poison came out in drops. Luigi slowly turned to Snake. His face went ghostly pale. He tugged at the machete, which was embedded in the dirt. Luigi slowly walked over to him, clutching the injection. He raised it above Snake's head. He trembled and sweated, not wanting to do it. He wiped his brow. Snake could feel Luigi's breath on the back of his neck, which made him pull harder._ Come on...come on... _He pleaded to himself. Luigi took a deep breath.

"I don't want to do this, Snake." The plumber sighed. "But I have to do it. For Mario."

With a cry, he plunged the injection down. Snake sensed it coming closer. With one final pull, he tugged the machete free of its prison in the dirt.

"AARRRGGGHH!" Snake yelled as he lifted the machete into the air.

The sword immediately sliced through the needle. The blue poison splashed out of it, landing on Snake's clothes. He breathed a sigh of relief. He was safe. He looked up at Luigi, who gulped and started backing away slowly. Snake looked at the interesting pattern on the sword for a while, before running towards Luigi, the machete raised. Luigi screamed and dived out of the way, the machete slicing off the hairs on the back of his neck. Luigi landed on the ground roughly. Snake slashed at him again, but Luigi rolled out of the way. Before his machete could get stuck, however, Snake quickly lifted it into the air and held it firmly. Luigi stumbled away from him. Snake dashed towards the green-clad plumber at a great speed before getting ready to chop him in half. But before he could, Luigi turned around and threw a needle at him. Snake gasped, narrowly avoiding the deadly poison. To do this he had to throw himself onto the floor, leaving him out in the open for an attack. Luigi raised his third needle in the air and threw it at Snake. He didn't have any time to react this time and it stabbed him in the shoulder, the blue liquid entering his blood. Snake gasped. In about five minutes he would be dead. On the floor, eyes closed, breathing stopped. He would never see Samus again. He looked up at Luigi.

_It was now or never._

**...**

Villager backed away from his opponent. She stood tall, towering over him. Her shadow was enough to completely engulf him. He dropped his mace in fright and held his hands in front of his face, bursting into tears.

"Please don't hurt me!" He cried to the bounty hunter, Samus Aran.

He fell to his knees, wiping away his tears with his shirt. Samus sighed, feeling guilty, but she had to do it. She raised her large hammer into the air, getting ready to deliver the final blow straight away.

"I'm so sorry, you had your life to look forward to...and I have to take it away..." A small tear appeared in the bounty hunter's eye.

Villager gasped. _Is she...crying? Samus...is crying? _He glanced at his mace. Now was his chance. He picked it up, although he took a few steps back first due to the weight of it against the young boy. He swung it at Samus, hitting her chest. She fell backwards, out of breath. A huge gash was in the middle of her chest. She stumbled over, landing on the hard cobbles. They were in the middle of the street at midnight, and it was very dark. Samus stood up, trying to ignore the burning pain in her chest area. Villager felt horrible for doing that to her, but he wanted to win.

"Stay down!" Villager kicked her in the knees, forcing her to the ground once again.

She reached out for her hammer with one hand, while the other hand clutched her injured knee. Villager narrowed his eyes and ran towards the hammer, quickly kicking it out of the way. It spun around multiple times before it hit a house wall, breaking it. The wall collapsed to the ground, which shook for a few moments. Villager almost fell over, but he managed to keep his balance. A giant dust cloud washed over them and they both coughed and spluttered. When it disappeared, Samus struggled to get to her feet, but Villager punched her in the face and she fell backwards, slamming into the floor. The impact made the breath in her lungs quickly escape.

"Please don't struggle." The gentle voice of the villager came. "I promise I'll make this quick. Just trust me."

Samus was in too much pain to reply. The villager raised the mace into the air and Samus widened her eyes as she saw the deadly weapon barely above her head. She realised this was her end, and she closed her eyes. It didn't matter really. She had no friends or family to return too. Villager was just a kid, and he had his mother and father to come back to, and he also had his entire life ahead of him. Samus took this time to actually open her eyes and let out a little smile towards Villager.

"You fought well, Villager." She smiled, needing to take a breath quickly due to the injury in her chest. "Win this. Win this for me."

Tears sprang into Villager's eyes as he raised the mace above his head.

"Goodbye, Samus." The villager whispered.

But before he could finish off his opponent, a sudden gust of wind came from seemingly nowhere, blowing Villager backwards. He stumbled and tried to regain his balance, but the weight of the mace and the wind was too much for him and he fell, dropping the mace. He cried out in pain as he hit the floor. Samus gasped, realising this was her chance. She glanced at her hammer, a couple of meters away from her. She looked back at Villager, who's back was facing her as he tried to get to his feet. She placed one arm in front of the other as she dragged herself painfully across the street. She gritted her teeth. The wound in her chest was unbearable now, and her injured knee wasn't helping, either.

"What was I thinking?" Samus said to herself, shaking her head. "Of course I have a reason to live! I may not have any friends or family, but I have the universe to protect! I need to do this!"

She pulled herself through a puddle, getting her clothes wet. She didn't have her full power, because she wasn't wearing her power suit, and she was just wearing a blue jumpsuit with her blonde hair tied up in a ponytail. She reached out for her hammer, clutching the handle. She suddenly felt Villager's foot on her back and she quickly turned around, whacking him with the hammer. He stumbled backwards, blood coming out of his mouth. He fell over, rolling onto the ground. Samus felt horrible for doing this to a kid, but she had no choice. She couldn't hold back. She staggered to her feet, lifting the hammer up. The weight made her crouch down, exhausted. Her knees leaned towards each other as she slowly walked over to Villager. He wasn't breathing. Blood was covering his face. His body was limp. Samus sighed deeply.

"I've succeeded..." She said. "I've won..."

"I don't think so! Take this!" Villager kicked her hard in the back and she fell forward but she managed to regain her footing and not impale herself on Villager's dropped mace. Samus looked at him and smirked.

"Great job, kid. You're stronger than I thought." Samus leaned her hammer against her shoulder.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Villager growled, raising his hands into the air and making fists. "Let's finish this."

Samus stayed still for a moment before exploding into action. She sped towards Villager, her hammer raised. She slammed it down, but he was ready. He dived out of the way, rolling over and landing on his feet. Villager noticed his mace and ran towards it. Samus ran in front of him, stopping him from getting it. Villager scowled at the bounty hunter and kicked her in the stomach, making her lean backwards. While she was leaning backwards, Villager jumped onto her stomach and leapt off, landing by his mace.

"Prepare to be killed, Samus!" He yelled.

"I don't think so!" Samus shook her head, gripping her hammer tightly.

Villager attempted to cut Samus with his mace but she jumped backwards and pressed against it with her hammer. They both pushed as hard as they could, but in the end Samus won and Villager stumbled backwards. Samus whacked his legs, taking him off his feet. Villager landed on his back and groaned. Samus tried to hit him but he quickly lifted his legs into the air and pushed against it until she let go and it spun to the other side of the street once again. While she was distracted, Villager jumped to his feet and punched her in the head. Then he leapt on her back and kept kicking and punching her until she dropped to the ground. He jumped off, glaring at her.

"I-I'm not done yet..." Samus whispered.

"Grrr..." Villager glanced at the mace and looked back at the bounty hunter. "DIE ALREADY!"

He picked it up and slammed it down. The force made him fall back a little, but he soon regained his balance. He panted heavily, wiping the sweat off his brow. He fell to his knees, not believing what he just did. He couldn't help letting out a little smirk though.

"Oh, what the heck. I may as well look at what I created." He said with a grin and stood up, leaning over Samus' dead body...

...That wasn't there. He gasped. The mace had embedded itself into the concrete, not Samus' skull.

"Nice try, Villager." Came a voice from behind him. "But I win."

Villager spun around to see Samus. Her voice was soft and gentle, as if she was trying to lull him to sleep. She held her hammer, stepping towards him. Villager backed away. He wasn't looking where he was going, however, and he tripped. Samus gasped as Villager fell towards the mace. _I'm not supposed to help my opponents. _She thought. _But he's just a kid. I need to save him._

"Villager! Grab my hand!" She reached out, desperately trying to grab his small palm. His arms were waving about frantically, though, and he couldn't grab them. Time seemed to go in slow-motion as Samus watched Villager plummet to his death.

The mace impaled him, sticking through his back and coming out the other side. His mouth was open in shock, his eyes widened. Blood poured out of his stomach quickly. He was barely alive. Samus watched his life fade away, stepping backwards.

"...Sa...mus..." Villager whispered, his eyes fixed on the starry sky.

Samus looked up. Did he just speak? She ran over to him and gasped as she saw his mouth moving, desperately trying to speak. She stroked his hair, smiling sadly at him.

"Go on. You can do it." She said.

"Th...that was a good...fight, Samus." Villager said, smiling painfully. Samus sighed. Even smiling hurt him. "We'll...have to meet...up again sometime..."

Samus smiled.

"That sounds great, Villager. Rest in peace." She sighed, stepping backwards once again and picking up her hammer. _I can't leave him in pain. _

She walked towards him and lifted it up. She shook in fear, just looking at him. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and slammed the hammer down.

**...**

_Hope. Family. Life._

These three words spun around in Tabuu's mind. He didn't...understand them...maybe one of the contestants would know. He used his psychic powers to sense who had finished their battles.

"Samus Aran." He said, smirking at the mess she had made. "She will know."

Samus panted heavily. She backed away from Villager's body, turned around and ran. She dashed through the streets, the rain pelting her. She didn't want to look at the body anymore. She needed to escape.

_"Hello, Samus." Tabuu spoke to her through his mind._

The bounty hunter skidded to a stop. Was that...?

_"Why are you running?"_

Samus narrowed her eyes. Tabuu. She looked up in anger.

"TABUU!" She screamed. "YOU MADE ME KILL VILLAGER! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU!?"

_"Calm down, now." Tabuu said. "I need to ask you some questions."_

Samus didn't answer. She took deep breaths, trying to ignore the burning passion to rip him apart limb by limb.

_"What's family?" Tabuu asked._

"...What a stupid question." Samus muttered. "You know what family means. You told us you wanted to make a perfect world for your family."

_"Yes, but I don't know what it means." Tabuu replied. "Please tell me."_

"...Family is a person you love. Very much. So much that you would risk your life for them. You grow up with a family, you do things with them...you stick with them until the end..." Samus sighed sadly.

_"...What's wrong, Samus?" Tabuu asked. "Don't you have a family?"_

That question made Samus explode in rage. She grabbed her blood-stained hammer and started smashing the houses and cars in the virtual world. Her face was bright red and she was screaming madly.

"DON'T YOU EVER ASK ME THAT! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT!" Samus screamed.

_"Calm down, please. I only asked a question." Tabuu said._

"YOU EXPECT ME TO CALM DOWN WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO KILL EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US EXCEPT FOR A SINGLE PERSON!?" Samus screamed in rage.

_"I'll come back when you've calmed down." Tabuu said._

Samus sighed and dropped to the ground, curling into a ball. She weeped as the rain continued to pelt her. She just wanted to go home.

**...**

Snake ripped the needle out of his arm, cringing in pain as he felt it being pulled out. He could almost feel the poison swimming around in his blood, quickly killing him. He had to take down Luigi...now. He looked up, using his arm to block the sun. The beams from the gigantic ball of gases made it hard to see his opponent. He lunged at him, but Luigi crouched down and Snake jumped over him, landing flat on his face. Luigi took this time to stab his final needle into Snake, inserting more poison into his body. Snake realised that, now with a second dose of poison in his body, he only had around two more minutes to live. Snake stood up. Luigi turned and started to run away, hoping to outrun the spy until he eventually died. Snake chased him.

"Get back here, you coward!" Snake yelled, trying to grab him.

"No way!" Luigi yelled back. "I want to win!"

The grass waved frantically as the two ran through it, trying to either catch or escape their opponents. Snake growled angrily, looking around for something to attack him with. He suddenly felt a burning, unbearable pain in his stomach and head and he fell to his knees, sprawling onto the floor. _I'm running out of time. _Snake grumbled. Luigi watched him in pain, smirking victoriously. _I'll show him._

He spotted a large rock on the floor and suddenly had an idea. He ran over to it, almost slipping on the wet grass due to the rainstorm that had happened a couple of minutes ago. The rock was surprisingly heavy and it was a challenge to lift it up. He eventually managed to do it though and he ran over to Luigi. The plumber wasn't expecting the sudden speed and he got hit in the face with it, making him tumble into a puddle. Snake picked up the rock again and slammed it down on Luigi's stomach, trapping him.

"ACK! Let me go!" He demanded, trying to wriggle out, but it was no use.

Snake sadly walked back and picked up his machete. He brandished it and looked back at Luigi. He didn't want to do this. He didn't have to do this. But he wanted to see Samus again. The mud squelched as Snake walked back over to Luigi. Then the pain came back. Snake's eyes rolled back into his head and he started having a huge nosebleed. He fell to his knees. It felt like he was having a really bad brain freeze. He started panting heavily and his eyes started to close. Luigi gasped. He could win this. Snake got to his feet drowsily.

"I've...I've got to win this..." He picked up the rock and was about to throw it onto Luigi when he fell unconscious, collapsing to the ground.

The rock fell out of his hands and Luigi cheered in happiness. Snake closed his eyes. He was still breathing, but there were only about ten seconds until his fate became true. Then the most shocking thing happened. The rock landed on Luigi's neck, immediately decapitating him. Blood spurted out from his neck as his head rolled away, stopping by Snake's machete. He had a shocked expression on his face.

_"Wake up, Snake."_

Snake sat up, confused. He didn't feel dizzy any more. He looked at his hands and body. He couldn't see any wounds. He turned around and gasped as he saw Luigi's head staring at him, his eyes fixed on his face. Snake looked at his body to see a rock where his head would usually be. _I...I won... _He thought. _But what was that voice?_

"Hello?" Snake asked.

_"Congratulations, Snake." A creepy, unnerving voice spoke. "You have beaten your opponent and you will move onto round two."_

Snake looked back at Luigi's corpse and gulped. He didn't want to do it.

"Tabuu?" Snake said.

_"Yes?" Tabuu replied._

"Has anybody else...finished their fights yet?" Snake asked, hoping for the best.

_"Yes...one." Tabuu said. "Would you like to know?"_

"Please." Snake said.

He shuddered. What if Samus was killed in her battle? She can't have...she's too strong for that. He had to stay strong himself.

_"Well...Samus and Villager have." Snake's eye twitched. This was it. This was the moment. "Samus won. Villager died from being impaled by his own weapon. He accidentally killed himself."_

"Samus...survived?" Snake was so happy that all he could do was stand still in shock. "Have you...healed her?"

_"Yes. I will heal everyone who wins. As you can probably tell already, I've also healed your wounds, along with removing the poison from your body. You have to admit though, Luigi did put up a good fight." Tabuu smirked. "It was fun to watch."_

"You're twisted." Snake said, disgusted. "Why are you doing this to us? Some of these people are children!"

_"Those children helped you with my demise." Tabuu narrowed his eyes. "And I can't wait until I see all of you perish except for one. I will let them survive so they can tell their friends and family about the fabulous deaths they have witnessed!"_

"Please, you can still stop this! You can still save everyone!" Snake pleaded.

_"I'm sorry, but even if I wanted to I couldn't. The virtual world I created to place you all inside used up all my magic. I will only have enough left to send one of you back...then...then...I'll turn back into a normal human...a weak being." Tabuu muttered._

"Humans are NOT weak! Just look at us! We're fighting for our lives!" Snake yelled.

"Sorry, there's nothing I can do. It was nice talking to you, Snake." Tabuu said, leaving Snake's mind.

Snake sighed. It was deathly quiet. He was alone, the only company being Luigi's dead body.

**...**

"Stay away from me!" Olimar ran away from his opponent, probably the most muscular Smasher ever.

They were in a graveyard. Olimar ran as fast as he could on the dirt, making sure he didn't trip and break his fragile space helmet. The small Hocotatian wasn't very strong, and his weapon didn't help either. It wasn't even a weapon! Why couldn't he have a sword? Or a gun? Sure, he wouldn't be able to use them properly due to his size and height, but at least he would have a chance of winning with something like that. But he had the worst weapon possible. A measly rope. His only hope was to run, and hopefully his opponent would get tired out so Olimar could strangle them or something. But he wasn't so sure his enemy would get tired at all. Captain Falcon had muscles as big as dinner plates, and his stamina was crazy. The only reason why Olimar wasn't dead right now was because Captain Falcon didn't have very good speed, while Olimar's was great.

"Get back here, Olimar! Quit making your death take longer!" Captain Falcon chased him through the graveyard, not giving up for one second.

His weapon was a pocketknife, but he threw it in the soil a while ago, wanting to fight with his fists. Olimar had looked for it, but he couldn't find it. Now he was desperately trying to get away from him. The Hocotatian was starting to get tired and Captain Falcon started catching up. Olimar was about to give up already when he saw a tree, towering high above both of them. He gasped and ran towards it.

_"Falcon..."_

_Oh no. _Olimar's heart sank. _The Falcon Punch._ If that hit him, his life would be over. He needed to get to that tree. He ran as fast as he could, despite his heavy panting. Captain Falcon ran after him and tried to kick him, but Olimar swiftly jumped over his leg. Because the kick missed, it slowed Captain Falcon down and Olimar ran ahead. He was almost there. Suddenly, he was hit in the head and he sprawled to the ground. A nearly invisible crack was in his helmet, slowly letting out air. Olimar scrambled to his feet but Captain Falcon grabbed his neck, easily lifting him up into the air. He started squeezing his throat. Olimar started punching him, but they just felt like pillows to Captain Falcon. Then Olimar knew he could only do one thing. It was risky, but he had too. He slammed his head forward. It hit Captain Falcon's face, and on impact his helmet smashed into pieces, the glass sticking into his face. Falcon screamed and scratched at his face, dropping Olimar.

"Phew." Olimar kept running towards the tree.

Captain Falcon growled and dashed towards him.

_"Falcon..."_

Olimar pulled out his rope and threw it up into the air. It landed on a thick branch, with the two ends falling down. Olimar jumped up, grabbed both of them and swung back and forth until he finally had enough power to swing himself onto the branch.

"PPPUUUNNNNCCCCHHHH!" Fire came off his arm in the shape of a falcon as he punched the tree, hoping to hit Olimar.

The tree started shaking dangerously and Olimar wobbled but managed to regain his balance, knowing that if he fell his life would be in jeopardy. He smirked down at Captain Falcon.

"What's the matter? Can't jump high enough?" Olimar said and laughed, picking up his rope and slinging it over his shoulder.

"Grrr...I'M GOING TO GET YOU!" Captain Falcon roared in anger and jumped up and down, trying to grab the branch.

"Hey, this rope isn't so bad after all." Olimar smiled at the rope, making sure it didn't fall off by keeping it on his shoulder.

Captain Falcon narrowed his eyes at the cocky Hocotatian that stood on the tree. He was looking down at him as if he was nothing...he couldn't believe he was letting the weakest person he's ever met beat him! Wait a minute...

"Hey, Olimar? How can you breathe?" Captain Falcon said with a smirk._ Now I've got you._

"With this." Olimar pressed a button on his suit and a new helmet materialised over his head. It looked stronger than before.

Captain Falcon groaned. He looked at the big oak tree. Maybe if he bounced against the trunk...?

"That's it!" He cheered victoriously. "I'm coming, Olimar!"

He leapt at the towering tree and bounced against it using his strong foot. He bounced backwards, but at the same time he bounced higher. He gripped the strong branch and started pulling himself up. He started swinging his legs to try and build up some momentum. Olimar gulped and backed away, shaking in fright. He looked up and saw another branch. Aiming carefully, he spun the rope around like a lasso and threw it at the branch while still holding onto the end of the rope. It wrapped around the branch and Olimar tugged at it gently to make sure it was secure. Knowing it was he wrapped his legs around it and started pulling himself up.

"Ha! I got you now!" Captain Falcon jumped onto the branch but didn't see anyone. "What the?"

"Hey!" Olimar laughed from the branch above him. "Keep up!"

Captain Falcon jumped and managed to grab hold of the branch straight away this time. Olimar rolled his eyes and swung the rope around like a lasso once again and used the same method.

"Child's play..." He muttered.

"STOP RUNNING AWAY!" Captain Falcon was really angry now.

They kept climbing up the giant oak tree until Olimar eventually made it to the highest branch, which was very thin, almost like a twig. Captain Falcon climbed onto it and grinned at him. Olimar backed away until his back was pressed against the tree.

"Not so cocky now, are you?"

The branch started to snap. Olimar gasped as he saw the little splinters of wood coming off it. He looked up to see a little stump in the tree that was large enough for a rope to wrap around. Captain Falcon walked towards him. The branch snapped even more.

"Get ready to die!" Captain Falcon made his palm into a fist.

The branch snapped. They both fell down and down, the wind rushing past their ears. They felt like they were going to be sick. Olimar used his last remaining strength to make a lasso and throw the rope. It wrapped around the small stump. Olimar's fingers brushed past the rope and he couldn't grab it. He fell past it and screamed. Then he realised. He could still catch it with his feet! He quickly slammed his feet together, surprisingly catching the end of the rope. He watched upside down as Captain Falcon landed on the floor, his neck immediately breaking upon impact. Cringing, he flipped around and climbed up the rope until he made it to the stump. He sat on it and watched the sun go down.

_I won._

**...**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Three out of ten of the battles are done. The next chapter may be released tomorrow or Thursday, but the likely possibility is next week. Please leave a review and stay tuned!**


	3. Hope

Popo shivered as he walked through the dark forest. Even his fluffy, warm parka couldn't protect him from the brisk winds and the dim moonlight. He wanted Nana. He wanted to be with her, climbing up mountains, happy. But here he was. In the middle of the forest, fighting for his life. The small boy folded his arms, hoping to feel more warmth, but it didn't come. What if his opponent was Nana? He couldn't kill his sister. He wouldn't have her blood on his hands. He thought he heard the sound of leaves crunching and he spun around, raising his magic wand into the air. He was half-happy with his weapon. He couldn't do any good damage, but he could use the wand to make his opponent sluggish and then finish with a deadly blow with the sharp star at the end of the weapon. It illuminated his way through the setting of his battle, but it was still pitch-black. He had no idea where he was going. For all he knew, his opponent could be standing in front of him, getting ready to kill the little boy. He looked up at the stars and smiled. They fit the scene perfectly. Small dots of light against the dark sky, as if it was pushing against it and trying to make it brighter. He thought of him and the other smashers being those stars, and the sky was Tabuu. He hated that menace. Taking him away from his sister, and forcing him to fight her. Disgusting. Revolting.

"Ugh, this forest is rank." Popo's hairs on the back of his neck stuck up suddenly as he heard that deep, irritated voice. "I hope I kill my opponent quickly."

Popo turned around slowly, making sure not to make any sudden noises. It didn't help with leaves everywhere, however. He heard the sound of boots crunching in the autumn leaves, that looked black in the darkness. Popo slowly lifted up his magic wand, lighting the forest enough to see the bottom half of his opponent. He saw a large pair of boots as he expected, and a cape with holes in it as if it has been torn. The mountain climber also saw the tip of a golden sword, which sparkled in the moonlight. Popo glanced down at his magic wand and sighed, annoyed. He had no idea who it was, it must be someone who he had barely spoken to, like Ike or Marth. His mysterious foe walked closer, the leaf crunching getting gradually louder. Popo gasped and crept slowly behind a tree, not wanting to face his opponent until he knew who it was. He placed his hand on the smooth bark, peeking out from behind the trunk. Once again, he used his wand to find out who it was. The light showed a tall man with messy dark blue hair. He had a red bandana wrapped around his forehead and a serious look on his face. Popo's heart sank. Ike. He was a warrior, and Popo was a climber.

"How am I going to do this?" He whispered to himself, watching as Ike walked out of sight.

The male Ice Climber followed the swordsman through the forest, making sure not to lose him. Whenever Ike turned around, Popo swiftly backed away into the shadows or behind a tree. Suddenly, Popo heard a voice that made his eyes widen in shock.

"I don't get it, Tabuu. I've been searching for over fifteen minutes! I've looked everywhere!" Ike muttered, folding his arms.

_"Ahaha. Don't give up hope yet, Ike. In fact, your opponent may be closer than you think..." Tabuu grinned widely as he spoke to Ike, although not being there._

Popo gasped. Was Tabuu helping Ike find him? He listened closely, making sure not to miss any important details of the conversation. He peeked out from behind the large oak tree he was hiding behind.

"Well, they better be easy to kill." Ike said harshly. "I want to get this over with."

_"Ike, your opponent will be easy to kill. Believe me." Tabuu said with a smirk. "In fact, they are behind you...right now..."_

Ike spun around, his cape lifting into the air from the wind pressing against it. Popo dashed back behind the tree and pressed against the trunk. He started to whimper quietly. How could he do this? He looked at his wand. This thing was his only hope. He may as well give up...let Ike finish him off.

"Wait, what am I thinking?" Popo shook his head, disgusted by his words. "I need to stay alive. I need to keep going...for Nana."

"Tabuu, there's no one here." Ike rolled his eyes, irritated. "Stop messing about and go away. I'm trying to concentrate."

_"Try looking behind the trees."_

"Okay, but nobody's going to be there." Ike muttered, walking over to a thick, towering tree and quickly looking behind it. "Nope..."

Popo wouldn't let Ike defeat him. He wouldn't let Tabuu defeat him. He needed to try, even if there was more of a chance of Ike winning. He spotted Ike, checking a tree a couple of meters away from him. He had a perfect aim. Popo lifted the wand into the air before flicking it downwards sharply, sending a ball of magic flying towards Ike. It hit him, and he fell to the ground, surprised. He had an aching pain in his back, but not nearly enough to take him down. The swordsman spun his head around and growled angrily, brandishing his razor-sharp golden sword. Popo barely had enough time to get back behind the tree. His heart was beating rapidly, and he was sure Ike could hear it. He wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"Come out and fight!" Ike yelled, gripping his sword tightly. "Coward!"

Popo didn't care about the insults. Who would be stupid enough to actually come out from their hiding spot if someone said that? Well, apparently he was, because he found his legs walking out from behind the tree. Ike's frown turned into a cruel grin.

"Popo." He smirked.

_"Idiot..." Popo thought to himself, biting his lip._

"It's good that you decided to come out. Others wouldn't be so courageous to do so...like...oh, I don't know..._Nana?_" Ike grinned.

Popo clenched his fists. He wanted to pummel that cocky swordsman, but that would be a stupid thing to do. He would be chopped in half in five seconds flat. He had to be smart. Ike ran towards Popo at a surprising speed, shocking the climber. He barely had enough time to dive out of the way, the sword slicing some of the hairs off his blue parka. Popo skidded on the floor, scrambling to his feet as fast as he could. Ike rested his sword on his shoulder.

"Hmmm...impressive. But you won't be so lucky next time." Ike said.

"Hey, Ike! Come get me!" Popo taunted, picking up his dropped wand and running away. "Don't though, if you think you're too slow!"

Ike broke into a run after him. Popo's plan was to tire him out, then get in a few hits to make him even slower. He would then finish him off with the star.

"Get back here, squirt!" Ike growled, chasing after him, ready to attack with his sword at any moment.

"Stay back!" Popo turned around and shot a blast of magic at Ike before turning around and continuing to run.

He was never the best runner. His grandpa told him one day that he had to make a choice: to run or to climb, and he would teach him the best tactics. Popo eventually decided to climb, and now him and his sister were famous for it. Unfortunately, he never got to ask his grandpa about running, because he sadly passed away before he could, leaving him and Nana to have to fend for themselves in their old cabin.

Ike side-stepped the ball of magic easily and continued to chase Popo, getting closer and closer as time went on. Popo knew running was useless, so he decided to lose Ike in the maze of trees. But before he could make it, Ike leapt into the air, clutching his powerful sword.

"I've got you now!" Ike laughed and Popo screamed in terror.

Popo dived behind a tree just in time and Ike slashed it, the cut going at least halfway through the trunk. Popo gasped at Ike's strength. He got to his feet, using the tree for assistance, and dashed. He was small and nimble, so he could easily avoid slamming into the trees. Ike, meanwhile, had a tough time and kept getting slapped in the face by low branches. Popo, in a couple of minutes, was way ahead of Ike. He panted heavily. He was safe...for now. He decided to use this time to talk to Tabuu and ask him some questions.

"...Tabuu? You there?" He made sure his voice was quiet, not to attract Ike.

_"What?" Tabuu's voice was harsh, like he was irritated. He definitely didn't sound like he was when he was speaking to Ike._

"Why did you try and rat me out to Ike?" Popo asked, his voice soft and gentle.

_"I want this game to be exciting. You moving onto the second round doesn't make it exciting. It makes it boring. Because you're weak." Tabuu scowled._

"You think I'm...weak?" Popo's heart sank. Even Tabuu didn't have any faith in him. "Why?"

_"Do I really need to say? You're a child! A weak, pathetic, child! You can't even fight by yourself! You always need your sister with you so you can even match the strength that Ike has." Tabuu said._

"I don't use her to make me stronger. I'm always with her because she's my sister, and I love her." Popo said sadly. "She's the only family I have, and I couldn't bear to live without her."

_"..." Tabuu didn't understand what family meant, but he still felt a strange emotion. It made him think of the two people that raised him. "Then why are you fighting? Why are you trying to win?"_

"So I can see her again in the second round! I really need to say my goodbyes, because, to be honest, I don't think either of us could win this. And with people like Snake and Captain Falcon in the mix, it's almost impossible!" Popo cried.

_"Hmmm...I somewhat understand, but not fully. And, to raise your hopes a little, Captain Falcon lost his fight to Olimar. He's dead." Tabuu said. "Could you explain...family...a little bit more, please?"_

"Falcon's dead? Olimar killed him?" Popo gasped, not expecting that. "That's...shocking, but thank you for telling me. Now, a family is a group of people that you grow up with. A group of people that you love and care for. You must love your family. You said you were going to create a world for them."

_"I only remember being created by some men wearing lab coats. When I woke up, I found myself in some kind of machine, but I managed to break out." Tabuu explained. "After a while, I eventually found some others just like me, both of them older, and they raised me, calling themselves my 'mother' and 'father'."_

Popo gasped. He always thought Tabuu just wanted to take over the world...but he had such a deep story behind it. He actually felt sorry for him, despite all that he's done to them. Turning them into trophies, trying to destroy the universe, sending them into a game where all but one would perish...Then he realised. Now that Popo had softened him up, maybe he could bribe him into taking his sister out of the game and letting her go?

"Say, Tabuu?" Popo said.

_"Yes?" Tabuu replied, his voice now soft and gentle._

"Could you possibly think about letting my sister go? She's just a kid, and I love her so much." Popo said. "Please, just let her go."

_"..." Tabuu sighed. "I'm sorry, Popo. I've grown to like you the most out of everybody who I threw into this game, and I'm sure your sister is as kind and gentle as you are, but I can't. It would use up all of my magic."_

"Please, Tabuu!" Popo cried, tears in his eyes, attracting Ike who glanced at him and smirked. "Please just let Nana go!"

_"I can't, Popo, and I'm very sorry. Goodbye." Tabuu said, leaving Popo's mind._

Popo dropped to his knees and weeped. He buried his head in his hands. Ike crept closer, his sword held tightly in his right hand. He felt awful for having to do this to a crying child, but he had to if he wanted to win. Ike jumped into the air and plunged the sword down, fire coming off it from the force. Popo rolled over onto his back, still crying, and Ike's sword hit the ground instead of the climber. The noise that it created made Popo sit up and gasp.

"You got lucky." Ike scowled, glaring at him.

Popo glanced at his magic wand and gripped it tightly, jumping to his feet quickly. He circled Ike, who tugged at his sword menacingly. Popo had to make this shot accurate. He aimed carefully, before zapping magic towards Ike. He gasped in terror and fell backwards, covering his face with his arms. This was it. He had lost...to a squirt?

"Hyaaghh!" Ike heard Popo scream in pain.

He opened his eyes to see his sword, still embedded in the ground, sparkling brightly. Popo was clutching his arm, his eyes squeezed tightly shut.

"What happened?" Ike asked, confused.

"My magic bounced against the sword and hit me in the arm." Popo replied, checking his arm for any severe wounds. "I thought my weapon was weak..."

Ike looked at his sword and gasped at what it was capable of. He tugged at it as hard as he could. Popo stood up, growled angrily, and lifted the wand into the air.

"I'm doing this for Nana!" He flicked the wand upwards in a swift movement, sending a large amount of magic flying towards Ike.

"No!" Ike pulled his sword out of the ground and fell backwards, but fortunately for him it bounced off it and retaliated towards Popo.

"Not this time!" Popo sent another ball of magic towards the other one and they both collided, creating a small explosion which blew the ice climber backwards a little bit.

Ike stood up and ran towards Popo, letting out a war-cry. He slashed at him but Popo neatly hopped over the sword and punched him in the face. Ike stumbled backwards, growling in anger.

"I guess you underestimated me." Popo said with a smirk.

"You're going down!" Ike spun around multiple times, actually being quick enough to create a tornado. Popo, too surprised to move, got caught in it and got thrown up into the air, blood dribbling down his face from the sword tip.

Popo landed on the floor, groaning in pain. Aching, he managed to clamber to his feet dizzily. Ike got ready for another attack, but Popo blasted some magic at him before he could, hitting him backwards. He skidded, but eventually stopped. They both growled at each other.

"Won't you just die already!?" Both of them cried, running towards each other.

Ike raised his sword into the air, his face bright red from anger. Popo was exactly the same but he held his wand in the air instead. They both got closer to each other, gripping their weapons tighter. They both attacked each other, and on impact a huge explosion occurred, slamming them both into two thick trees. They painfully slid down them. It was all silent for a while, before they both got to their feet, shaking and sweating.

"Hey...Popo..." Ike said, panting heavily. "You're not...so bad...after all..."

"You too...Ike..." Popo said, panting just as heavily. "But I'm going to win."

"I don't think so." Ike smirked. "Let's finish this."

Popo shot magic at Ike but he ducked down, sliding into Popo. He fell over, leaving himself open for an attack. Ike tried to slice him with the sword but Popo rolled over, avoiding the attack. The ice climber stood up and uppercutted the swordsman surprisingly with power, sending him up into the air. Popo whacked him with the magic wand when he came back down and Ike slumped to the ground.

"Ugh..." Ike said.

"You finished?" Popo narrowed his eyes, wanting to finish him off.

"Yeah...I think so..." Ike said, secretly smirking.

Popo turned around to grab Ike's sword and finish him off. While he was distracted, Ike leapt into action, grabbing Popo by the throat. He slammed him into a tree, holding him there firmly. Popo coughed and squirmed around as he desperately tried to escape his strong grasp. Ike looked away, not wanting to see the sight. He eventually let go and Popo fell to the ground, barely alive. His face was a dark blue colour, just like his parka.

"I...Ike?" Popo desperately tried to breathe, clutching his throat.

"Yes, Popo?" Ike looked at him.

"Good battle." Popo said, managing to let out a little smile. "I...I need you to p...promise me something."

"What is it?" Ike said. "Anything."

"I...if Nana m...makes it, tell her t...that I love her...and I will never forget her." Popo said. "And i...if round two is a t...team challenge, please protect her. H...help her survive."

"I will, Popo. I promise." Ike said, tears welling up in the swordsman's eyes. "Goodbye, Popo."

"Goodbye, Ike." Popo closed his eyes, a final smile on his face as he thought about Nana.

He stopped breathing. Ike checked for a pulse. There wasn't one. Popo was dead. Ike looked up at the stars. He vowed to protect Nana no matter what...for Popo.

**...**

"So, you're my opponent?" Little Mac smirked at the swordsman that stood in front of him. "Heh. It should be an easy challenge."

"Easy? Who are you calling easy?" Link narrowed his eyes. "I happen to be the protector of Hyrule."

"Boring. Everyone has to be a protector these days." Little Mac rolled his eyes. "I've been wanting to get my hands on someone all day, and now I've finally found you in this weird world."

"Whatever. Hey, if you think you're so strong, how about we drop our weapons and fight with our fists?" Link suggested. "Unless you're chicken."

"Me? Chicken? Ha, that's funny." Little Mac said. "I accept your challenge, but it'll just make your death more painful and fun for me."

"We'll see." Link dropped his taser, raising his fists.

Little Mac toyed with his rifle for a while before throwing it away. He glared at Link, narrowing his eyes.

"Let's do this." They both ran towards each other.

"You know, you should let me win. I have a girlfriend to win for." Link said as he ducked under Little Mac's fist.

"What, you mean Zelda? She's in this game too, idiot. One of you are going to die no matter what." Little Mac rolled his eyes.

"Don't say that! I know there's a way to trick Tabuu into letting us go!" Link yelled.

"Keep dreaming, loser." Little Mac punched Link in the chest then uppercutted him. Link fell to the ground, groaning.

"You're pretty strong. But not as strong as me!" Link crouched down, stuck his leg out and spun around, tripping Little Mac over. While he was on the floor Link kicked him in the stomach multiple times.

Little Mac coughed, drowsily getting to his feet. He fell forward a little, but managed to regain his balance and not fall again. He tried to punch Link but he easily side-stepped and Little Mac fell over again. Link scoffed.

"Pathetic." He laughed.

Little Mac's eyes shot open. He hated that word. _Pathetic._ That made him feel not worthy. He got to his feet again and roared in anger. Link backed away, a little frightened. Little Mac grabbed his head, used his knee to kick his chin then punched him in the mouth. Blood dripped from Link's mouth, but Little Mac wasn't done yet.

"Don't EVER call me that!" He continued to punch him, then strongly uppercutted him into the air. Before he came back down Little Mac punched him in the face, sending him flying.

He landed on the floor, groaning in pain. Little Mac stomped towards him and lifted him into the air by his neck. Link managed to kick him in the stomach and Little Mac stumbled backwards, letting go of him. Link kicked him, picked him up and threw him into the ground.

"Stop...stop!" Little Mac whispered, his voice gradually getting louder. "STOP!"

"I don't think so, Mac!" Link continued to do it. "I'm not letting up until I win!"

He flipped Little Mac around and kicked him in the back. A quiet crack could be heard. Little Mac panted, being unable to move. Link smirked.

"Are you enjoying this?" Link asked, kicking him in the back once more just to see him in pain. "How do you like it, huh?"

He continued to kick him, laughing in joy as he saw Little Mac gritting his teeth and desperately trying to get up. Link suddenly shook his head, realising the evil doings he had been performing. He backed away from Little Mac, shocked at himself. He had promised to himself that he would finish off his opponent quickly, so they wouldn't have to suffer any pain...He crouched down, placing a hand on Little Mac's shoulder, but he jumped in pain. He quickly took his hand off and sighed at the poor wrestler.

"I-I'm so sorry, Mac. I don't know what came over me." Link said gently. "...Would you like me to finish it?"

Little Mac nodded, tears in his eyes. He squeezed them shut and took a deep breath. Link picked up his taser and closed his eyes, slamming it into Little Mac's head.

**...**

Zelda, the royal princess of Hyrule, stepped through the empty corridors of the gigantic castle. It looked modern, like it had been refurbished a couple of weeks ago. But it was just in Tabuu's mind. His nightmares. She folded her arms.

"Hmmm...I could live in this castle." She said and chuckled. She had always been the optimistic one out of her and Link. He was always so serious and grumpy, and she couldn't enjoy herself properly when they went out on dates. She still loved him though. "Oh...if only Link were here. Wait a minute, that would be a bad thing if Link was here! I would have to fight him!"

The royal princess' weapon was a rope with sharp blades all around it, kind of like a necklace. Zelda held it far away from her dress, not wanting her regal outfit to be torn. Her boots made echoes bounce against the walls. Her opponent could probably hear her, which wasn't good. She opened a door which had spotless glass windows, and stepped inside. She was greeted to a soft, wool carpet and a blast of warm air. She looked around. There was a fire crackling gently in the fireplace, and two soft green sofas opposite each other. There was a mantelpiece with a clock and three pictures on it, which Zelda inspected. There were no numbers on the clock, but it kept ticking, and the picture frames were blank. Zelda furrowed her eyebrows. Did this have something to do with Tabuu's life? She continued to investigate a tall bookshelf at the end of the room.

"Hmmm...I wonder if this will give me any pointers to Tabuu's old life." She said, picking a book and taking it out of the bookshelf. She walked over to a sofa and sat on it, placing one leg on top of the other. She blew the book to get the dust off so she could see the title. It read 'One Final Stride.'

"One Final Stride? That's an odd name. Creative, though." Zelda opened the book to the contents. There were only three. "Death. Family. Hope. I don't like the look of this."

She was about to start reading chapter one, 'Death', when she heard loud footsteps coming down the corridor. Zelda gasped and dived under the sofa, clutching the book close to her chest. Marth came in, looked around, then swiftly turned on his heels and walked away.

"Phew...I better not get in his way again." Zelda wiped sweat off her forehead and started to read the book from under the lime green sofa. "What is Death? Is it just...lights out? Or is there something at the end of the tunnel? Do we reincarnate to something else, or turn into a ghost, but stay on Earth? It's a question that none of us can answer. But we will all know the answer sometime. I have had the feeling of death many times, but I have never actually experienced it. My parents have though. When I used to go to sleep at night, they used to visit me and tell me about it. I liked seeing them every night, but they suddenly stopped. So I thought, that if I created a perfect world for just us three, they would come back and we could live together. Forever. As a family."

Zelda put down the book slowly, her mind blown. She couldn't believe Tabuu had such a shocking backstory, if it was Tabuu. But who else could it be? She shook her head, getting rid of the questions. She started reading chapter two, Family.

"Family. I have asked many people this question before: what is family? They always reply, someone you love and care for deeply, that you would die for. But I don't know what love or care means either. I was raised to hate and destroy. I do have a strange feeling whenever my 'parents' visit me though, I feel all tingly when they smile at me. Like I was meant to be with them. Many others have a 'family' too, I thought I was the only one. Maybe one day they will return. I can only hope." Zelda looked up from the book and sighed.

When she was growing up, she only had her grandmother. Her parents were killed when they went into the depths of Hyrule to destroy the evil beast, Bagisaki. At the time of their demise Zelda was only one year old. She had been playing on the carpet, not knowing anything about it. When her grandmother told her, she didn't understand, but as she got older she realised that her parents were gone. And they weren't coming back. She turned the page and was greeted to the third and final chapter of the small book, 'Hope'.

"Hope is the final word that doesn't function properly in my mind. I have yet to learn the definition, but I do have a feeling what it means. Hope is when you want something badly, you wish for it. Sometimes you wish for it for years, sometimes only a day. But whatever amount of time it takes for your wish to come true, you know hope is there. I have been 'hoping' for years that my 'family' would come back, but my wish has yet to come true. I've been alone for years...I wanted to make the perfect world, but then these weird beings tried to stop me. I was only trying to protect myself...I didn't mean to turn them all into trophies. But then they started attacking me, and my rage burst out. How dare they try and wreck all my hard work to reunite my family with me? I tried my hardest, but there were about thirty of them, and I was killed. I had finally suffered my death." Zelda finished reading and looked through the book for any other pages, but there were none.

"Tabuu...was only trying to protect himself?" Zelda said in shock, standing up and slowly walking over to the bookshelf, neatly sliding the book back in. "I...can't believe it..."

The princess walked over to the door handle and wrapped her hand around it. She twisted it slowly, gently opening it. She peeked out to see nothing but an empty corridor. She walked out, holding her weapon tightly. She walked through the corridor, enjoying the peace and quiet. Suddenly, she heard loud echoey boots from around the corner. It wasn't her because she had stopped moving to listen. They got louder and louder. Zelda had nowhere to run, so she got ready to fight. As soon as she thought he was right around the corner, she spun her weapon towards the boot noises. She heard a loud thud.

"Ack!" A voice cried in pain, pulling the weapon out of their arm.

A huge wound was visible, deep inside Marth's arm. Blood poured out of it, splashing onto the floor. He used his weapon, a pack of bandages, to wrap one around his arm and stop the blood from escaping his body. He growled angrily, raising his fists and running around the corner. He stopped when he saw his opponent, skidding along the floor.

"...Zelda?" Marth said in shock.

"Hello, Marth." Zelda wasn't surprised, having already seen her opponent when she hid from him under the sofa in the living room.

Marth was shocked. Link was one of his best friends, he couldn't hurt his girlfriend! If he did the swordsman would never forgive him, and would probably try to kill him if he mentioned it in the second round! Well, if Link is in the second round, of course.

"You're my opponent?" Marth said.

"Yes, I am. And I'm going to win and see Link again in the next round." Zelda growled, grabbing her weapon and lifting it up.

"Let's do it then." Marth smirked.

_"This should be fun." Came a creepy, unnerving voice from nowhere._

"Tabuu!? What do you want!?" Marth growled angrily.

Zelda, on the other hand, wasn't mad with Tabuu at all. She would have been, but after reading those books she had felt so sorry for him that she couldn't even feel a speck of hatred for the power mad creature. Wind blew from the open window, cooling her down. She sighed.

_"Hey, I'm just here to enjoy the show." Tabuu said with an evil smirk. "Start when you like. Actually, start now, or I'll kill you both."_

"Tabuu, I read the book! I know how you feel!" Zelda cried.

"What book?" Marth said, confused.

_"Hm? What are you talking about, princess?" Tabuu snapped, slowly getting impatient._

"The book you wrote about death, family and hope! The same thing happened to me! I grew up without parents!" Zelda said.

_"..." Tabuu stayed silent, before shaking his head. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Shut up and fight."_

"Tabuu, it's okay! You don't have to hide anything from me!" Zelda pleaded. "Please, just tell me!"

_"..."_

Zelda sighed. She knew she wouldn't get any answers from him, but she had to try. She looked up at Marth. If she wanted to speak to him again, she had to win. With a loud war cry, she ran towards Marth, jumped into the air and sliced his cheek with her weapon. Blood came out of the wound and Marth gritted his teeth, slowly pulling out another bandage.

"You'll pay for that." He spat, narrowing his eyes at the Hyrule princess.

"Oh yeah? Bring it!" Zelda screamed, throwing the knife necklace towards Marth like a boomerang.

Before it could collide with his face he ducked swiftly, the necklace zooming past his face and slamming into the clean walls, making a slight crack as the blades embedded themselves in the wall. He lifted his body back up and front-flipped to distract Zelda, then punched her in the nose. She stumbled backwards, some of the blood from her nose falling onto her regal dress. She regained her balance and slapped Marth. That's all she could do without her weapon. Marth rolled his eyes and kicked her into the wall. She groaned and painfully slid down it.

"Can you just give it up already? Your a princess, and I'm a swordsman. It's kind of obvious who's going to win." Marth muttered.

"Says the man who wears a tiara. What are you, gay?" Zelda said.

"No, it's a fine piece of-" Marth began.

"Gay." Zelda said.

"Hey, listen!" Marth snapped.

"Gaaaaaaaayyyyyyy." Zelda said and laughed, running past Marth and dashing towards her weapon as fast as she could. Marth broke into a run after her.

Zelda lifted up her dress so she wouldn't fall over it. She looked back to see Marth right behind her. She managed to swing her leg back, kicking him in the chest. He tumbled backwards, laying on the ground in pain. Zelda smirked and pulled her weapon out of the wall. Marth got to his feet and ran towards her to kick her in the head, but Zelda lifted the knife necklace in front of her face and Marth skidded, stopping his attack just in time. Because he was standing right by Zelda, she whacked him in the face with it, cutting open many areas on his face, neck and head. He coughed multiple times before dropping to the floor, the blood loss being too much for him. The Hyrulian Princess threw the blood-stained weapon to the ground.

"...There. It's over." She wiped the blood off the bottom of her dress and walked away from the corpse. "Tabuu?"

Silence. Nothing spoke or moved in the room. The only thing that Zelda could hear was her own heartbeat, going _thump, thump, thump. _Her face turned red in anger, knowing that Tabuu was just ignoring her. She stomped her foot on the floor, clenching her fists tightly.

"TABUU! ANSWER ME!" Her voice echoed loudly throughout the castle and Zelda even had to cover her own ears at the noise her voice made. "STOP IGNORING ME!"

_"What!?" Tabuu answered angrily._

"...Good. Now, I read your book-"

_"It wasn't my book." Tabuu scowled._

"..." Zelda was getting angrier and angrier by the minute. "...I read your book, and you don't have to worry! My parents died when I was little, too! I was only one year old, and I didn't understand it. My grandmother raised me until I was old enough to become the princess of Hyrule."

_"...Really?" Tabuu started to soften up to her. "How did you cope?"_

"For an entire six months I did nothing but cry. I cried in school, cried in my bedroom, cried everywhere! But then I remembered that no matter what they were watching over me, proud of me for what I've done. I thought about them as I was announced the princess of Hyrule, Princess Zelda!"

Tabuu thought about this for a moment, then realised that she was right. Even if his family wasn't with him, they would always be watching over him. They would be disgusted at what he did. Tabuu looked down in shame. He suddenly felt awful for doing this to them. To Zelda...to Popo...to Samus...to everyone he had ever hurt. But the worst thing was that he couldn't make it right, no matter how hard he tried.

_"...Zelda, I-"_

"EEEK!" Zelda shrieked as she was suddenly struck in the back by her own weapon. She was frozen in shock for a moment as she felt the blood run down her back, before she eventually collapsed, revealing Marth standing behind her with a smirk on his face. He yanked the blade necklace out of her back, holding it firmly. "U...ug..."

She couldn't move. The blade necklace must have gone so far into her back that it reached her spine. She was paralysed. The Hyrulian princess realised that this was the end. She never even got to say goodbye to Link...

"I'm sorry I have to do this, Zelda, but you...understand, right? You would have done the same to me." Marth said. "I need to win."

"I...I understand, Marth." Zelda said. "I'm in a lot of pain right now...can you just finish me?"

"Of course, Zelda." Marth nodded sadly, raising the blade necklace above his head.

_"Wait! Zelda, I'm so sorry!" Tabuu yelled. "I can't let you die! You helped me so much! I now understand everything about death, family and hope thanks to you!"_

Both Marth and Zelda gasped. Was this really Tabuu? Was this the sadistic horrible creature that they had grown to know and hate? It can't be...he's too...normal.

"Are you...grieving?" Marth said in utter shock.

_"Zelda taught me everything I need to know! I can't let you go! I-I...I'll send you back right now!" Tabuu yelled. "Yes, I will! Don't worry, Zelda, I'll-"_

**"Oh, I don't think so." Came a deep voice, even deeper than Tabuu's.**

"What?" Marth, Zelda and Tabuu said at the same time.

**"I thought we had a deal, Tabuu." The same voice said, sounding irritated. "You betrayed me, and now you must suffer."**

_"Who are you? What deal?" Tabuu said, narrowing his eyes._

**"You know." The deep, scary voice replied.**

"What is he talking about, Tabuu?" Zelda asked, still in pain from her back wound.

_"I...I honestly don't know, Zelda...But don't worry! I'll still send you back! It will just take three seconds. One..." Tabuu started the countdown._

"Hey! You can't do that!" Marth cried.

**"You shouldn't have done this, Tabuu. Now you must die." The creepy voice growled.**

_"Two..." Tabuu continued._

"That's it!" Marth plunged the blade necklace down, towards Zelda's head.

**"Tabuu, your curtains are closed." The voice smirked, and the sound of fingers clicking could be heard.**

_"Th-AAAAAAHHHHHH!" Tabuu screamed in pain. "STTTTTTOOOOOOPPPP! HEEEEELLLLPPP MEEEEEE!"_

The blue electricity was slowly being sucked out of his body. He started to sweat. He shook crazily as his power was removed. Huge explosions happened around his mind as he screamed in pain and terror. Suddenly it stopped. An explosion happened right in front of Marth just before he was going to kill Zelda, sending him into the wall. It was all silent in the castle. Zelda looked up in fright.

"...Tabuu?" She asked.

_"Yes, Zelda?" Tabuu answered._

"Wait a minute, your alive!?" Zelda gasped.

_"Of course I am." Tabuu answered._

"But...what about that screaming I just heard coming from you just now?" Zelda questioned, confused.

_"Oh, it was nothing. Just...a little joke, that's all." Tabuu said. "Goodbye, Zelda."_

He left Zelda's mind. 'Tabuu' smirked. Had she actually believed him? What an idiot! He laughed menacingly as he looked at the real Tabuu, chained in a room. The chains were made out of power, his power, and because it was all gone he couldn't escape. Tabuu himself wasn't bustling with electricity anymore. He was grey, looking lifeless. 'Tabuu' let out another laugh.

**"You shouldn't have betrayed me, Tabuu."**

Zelda breathed a sigh of relief. Tabuu was fine. But where was Marth? She tried to sit up but she still couldn't move.

"Eurgh..." A voice said.

"Marth? Is that you?" Zelda asked.

"I'm sorry, Zelda, but I must kill you now. Your demise has been stalled long enough." Marth said, standing behind her with the blade necklace raised.

"...I know." Zelda sighed. "Just tell Link that I love him."

"Yes, Zelda." Marth nodded his head and plunged the blade down, not wanting to waste any time. Blood poured out from Zelda's head wound as she laid lifeless. Marth turned and walked through the castle whistling, deciding to explore before the second round started.

**...**

**Thanks for reading! Please leave a review and tell me what you think! Sorry for the shortness of Link and Little Mac's battle, but I think I made up for it with Popo and Ike's battle and Zelda and Marth's battle! There are four more battles left. All of them will be covered in the next chapter, so stay tuned!**


	4. Life

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed! In this chapter, the rest of the first round battles will be shown. Eight characters still have to fight. Who will make it to round two? Please read and review!**

**...**

Princess Peach, the beautiful ruler of The Mushroom Kingdom walked through the dark, damp prison, her arms folded. She shuddered as she looked around, the only light being a slit in the stone walls, where the dim moonlight shined through. She was on the second floor, and occasionally looked over the railings to see if her opponent was there. She had to be thrown into this, didn't she!? She muttered something quietly to herself, holding her metal pole tighter. She knew she should've worn her sports outfit to this 'party', and not her dress and high heels. They echoed throughout the entire prison, and Peach was surprised her opponent hadn't found her yet. She wondered who it was. Hopefully not Ike or Marth, she would definitely lose to them. She had to win for Mario, and go home to him!

"Hello?" She asked into the darkness. "Is anybody there?"

No answer, as Peach expected. Her opponent was probably hiding in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike. Peach needed to stay on her toes. She turned around sometimes, making sure her opponent wasn't following her. She had eventually done five laps of the second floor and groaned, sitting down for a rest. She leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes.

"Heh heh...too easy..." The princess' ears picked up a soft, mischievous voice from above her. Wait...above her?

Peach looked up to see nothing but rusty old pipes and darkness, along with a few spiderwebs here and there. She looked down again and closed her eyes, listening out for any signs of movement or a voice. She heard a banging noise, like someone was clambering across the pipes, making sure not to be seen. The hairs on the back of her neck slowly raised up and she started feeling anxious. Then she heard a gentle splash as someone landed in a small puddle, the water coming from the pipes. Whoever it was crept closer and closer.

"Come on...you coward..." Peach whispered quietly, her eyes still closed as she pretended to be asleep. "Come and get me..."

She fumbled around for her metal pole, but stopped when she heard the noises again. She eventually found it and wrapped her fingers around the cold surface. Her eyes squeezed tight, feeling hot breath against her neck.

"Time to die..." A female voice said.

_"Wait...a female voice!? What if it was Zelda!? Or Samus!?" Peach thought nervously. She prayed that her opponent wasn't one of her best friends. Although, if it was they would be just as shocked...right?_

Peach's foe raised their pocketknife into the air, smirking evilly. Her entire body was pale, just like moonlight, and she wore a light blue tank top with the words 'Wii Fit' written plainly in white. She wore grey trousers with little slits at the bottom, and she didn't wear shoes or socks. Despite being young, she had grey hair tied up in a ponytail. The Wii Fit Trainer. She plunged the knife down. Peach gripped the metal pole with all her might and spun around, whacking the trainer into the wall. She let go of the knife and it hit the ground with a metallic clang. The trainer was hit into the wall, where she stayed, being unable to move or even fall off.

"You...got lucky...you little...bi-" Wii Fit Trainer stopped as she fell onto the cold, hard floor.

She stood up, gritting her teeth. She picked up her knife and spun it around using two fingers before she eventually gripped it. Peach held her metal pole, determined to win.

"I'm not going to lose to a princess!" Wii Fit Trainer snapped angrily as the two circled each other.

"Maybe you should stop spending every minute of your life outside! You look like you need blood!" Peach yelled, referring to her pale body. "I'm doing this for Mario, who are you doing this for?"

"Heh heh...silly princess. I'm not doing this for anyone." Wii Fit Trainer looked down, a mischievous glint in her eye. "I'm doing this for the joy of it."

"The...joy of it?" Peach's eye twitched. "You sick woman! You enjoy seeing the deaths of other people?"

"Of course, it's fun." Wii Fit Trainer said, grinning widely. "And I'm also doing it for the fame. Reporters will obviously get involved with this. I'll be rich and famous."

"How...how could you even want to do this? It's disgusting! And you're disgusting for doing it!" Peach pointed at her, but Wii Fit Trainer just laughed.

"Isn't that the game?" She said. "Now stand still, it will make your death shorter."

"No way!" Peach swung her metal pole at Wii Fit Trainer but she easily jumped over it. "I'm going to kill you, so you can't hurt anyone else!"

Wii Fit Trainer gripped her knife tightly and stabbed it into Peach's shoulder. The princess shrieked in pain and hissed as Wii Fit Trainer pulled her weapon out, smiling as she saw her blood seep out. Peach attempted to slap Wii Fit Trainer but she jumped into the air and plunged the knife down...straight through Peach's hand. Peach stared at the knife embedded in her hand for a moment before letting out a ear-piercing scream which made Wii Fit Trainer cover her ears and crouch down. Peach ripped out the knife, not caring about the amount of blood that came out of her wound. She looked at the trainer, fire in her eyes.

"You're...going...down..." She whispered, gripping her metal pole so hard that the trainer thought it would break in half.

"Finally, a challenge!" Wii Fit Trainer smirked, taking the knife from Peach. "Thank you!"

With a war cry, Peach dashed towards Wii Fit Trainer, and for a moment she backed away, frightened. She pressed her back up against the wall and screamed as Peach aimed the metal pole towards her, ready to impale the trainer. Wii Fit Trainer squeezed her eyes shut, her fingers clutching the wall. Her body tensed up. This was it. She had lost to a princess.

"Not so tough now, are you?" Peach grinned, only a couple of centimetres away from the trainer. "Prepare to-WOAH!"

Wii Fit Trainer opened her eyes as she heard Peach's cry of surprise. She saw the princess slipping on her own pool of blood, falling backwards. She stumbled, trying to grab hold of something, but it was no use. She clutched her metal pole, gritting her teeth. She hit the railing and flipped around it. She screamed in terror as she fell towards the first floor. Wii Fit Trainer watched in surprise.

"HELP ME!" Peach cried, tears falling from her eyes as she plummeted down. She hit the floor, the impact breaking both of her legs. She panted heavily. She was badly wounded, but alive. Wii Fit Trainer groaned.

"Looks like I'll have to finish this myself." Her hands clenched into fists and she walked along the path, towards the stone steps that would lead her towards the first floor.

Peach watched, frightened. If she didn't hide, she was doomed. She tried to stand up, but it was obviously no use and a stinging pain shot through her body. She cried out, but quickly clamped her hand over her mouth. She couldn't let Wii Fit Trainer know where she was! She spotted a prison cell not far away from her spot. If she couldn't walk, she could crawl. She purposely made her body fall over and she hit the ground, gritting her teeth. She held out both of her arms and placed them in front of her. Then she started crawling like a soldier, one arm in front of the other. She had to ignore the pain in her legs as she kept going, getting closer and closer to the prison cell. She reached out for the rusty, metal bars and grabbed them, pulling her body closer. She leaned her back against the bars and fumbled with the handle. She tugged down and the door squeaked open, dragging along the floor. Peach once again used the aid of the bars to pull her body to the opening and crawl inside. She slammed the door shut, making a crash. She breathed a sigh of relief and started crawling towards the bed, hoping to rest her legs. She clutched the blanket and pulled, accidentally making it land on top of her. She shook it off, irritated, and clambered onto the bed.

"I'm coming, Peach..." Came a soft, mocking voice. Peach started shaking in fear. She glanced to her right to see a key resting on the sink. If she could make it to the key, she would be able to lock the door and Wii Fit Trainer wouldn't be able to get to her!

She took a deep breath and pushed herself off the bed. She hit the floor, squeezing her eyes shut and enduring the pain. She pulled herself towards the key. She couldn't see the top of the sink, as she was on the floor, so she moved her hand around. She eventually touched it and tried to grab it but her hands slipped and the key slid, landing in the sink. Peach desperately tried to stop it before it fell in the plug hole but she was too late and the key was gone. Peach sighed, looking down.

"Ha! There you are!"

Peach gasped as Wii Fit Trainer opened the prison cell gate, swiftly entering the room. She placed her hands on her hips, looking down at the princess and grinning.

"Wow...I almost feel sorry for you...almost." The trainer smirked, lifting up her knife. "Game over, Princess."

Peach knew she had to do something, but she didn't know what. She couldn't run away or even stand up. All she could do was lay there...and wait for her fate to come...Wii Fit Trainer stood on her legs, bringing more pain. Peach's hands clenched into fists and she kept thumping the floor, crying in pain.

"You know, I like to see my victims in pain before I finish them off." Wii Fit Trainer brandished her knife and it gleamed in the moonlight. She sat down on the bed.

"...Victims?" Peach said, struggling to speak because she was in so much pain.

"Oh...heh heh...I've said too much." Wii Fit Trainer chuckled nervously, and Peach raised an eyebrow. "Would you like me to finish you off quickly?"

"I don't want you to finish me off at all!" Peach yelled angrily, glaring at the trainer.

"Okay, suit yourself. You can just die a painful death, of starvation. Or I could just injure you more and leave you barely alive." Wii Fit Trainer shrugged. "Your choice."

"Your sick!" Peach cried. "I'm not going to lose to you!"

"Oh, yes you are." Wii Fit Trainer said, kicking Peach in the stomach. She coughed, rolling over onto her back. "How in the world could you win?"

Wii Fit Trainer was right. Peach was helpless. Then she noticed her metal pole at the end of the room, just waiting for Peach to grab it. She reached out for it while Wii Fit Trainer wasn't looking.

"Like...THIS!" Peach picked it up and swung it around, smashing Wii Fit Trainer in the head. She placed both of her hands on her head as she stumbled around dizzily. Peach sat up and attacked Wii Fit Trainer again.

Wii Fit Trainer jumped over her third attack, grabbed the metal pole and pulled, gritting her teeth. She was surprised at the princess' strength, but in the end luck was on her side. She ripped the metal pole from Peach's grasp slammed it down. Peach's eyes rolled back into her head as she fell unconscious.

"Enough of this!" Wii Fit Trainer yelled, picking up her blood-stained knife. "I'm going to take you down right now! I should've done this a long time ago!"

She stared at the helpless princess for a while before letting out a cry and using all her might to stab the knife into Peach's forehead. She let go and fell backwards as the blood seeped out. She scooted away, not wanting to look at it.

"What am I doing?" She stared at her hands, and noticed they were shaking violently. "How could I enjoy seeing people's deaths?"

Her mind flashed back to seeing pictures of corpses on the news and laughing at them, enjoying it. She shook her head in fear.

"You disgusting freak!" She shouted at herself. "How could you!?"

She screamed loudly and it bounced against the walls. Wii Fit Trainer crouched down, curling into a ball.

"From now on, I'm not killing anybody." She said to herself. "Ever."

**...**

"...You've got to be kidding me." Mega Man stared at the vast emptiness around him, scattered with stars._ "Space?" _

When he woke up he found himself floating around in the gigantic, endless void. Surprisingly, he could breathe. He wondered how. Probably because it was Tabuu's nightmares, and it wasn't real.

"Why did you send me here, Tabuu? This is really unfair!" Mega Man cried out, wishing he could've been sent to a forest or a beach.

_"Sorry, it was random." Came the familiar voice of Tabuu...or was it?_

"Ugh...whatever. Who's my opponent?" Mega Man muttered.

_"Well, I can't tell you exactly who it is, but it is a female." Tabuu answered._

"Female? Women are in this too?" Mega Man idiotically said in shock.

_"...Yes, Mega Man, there are women in this too." Tabuu rolled his eyes. "Six, actually. Princess Peach, Princess Zelda, Samus Aran, Wii Fit Trainer, Rosalina Star and Nana Climber."_

"Hopefully it won't be Rosalina. She has a lot of experience with space." Mega Man shuddered, hoping it wasn't her. "Wii Fit Trainer and Samus are really strong too...so I don't want them."

_"Actually, nearly every woman has had their battle, except for Rosalina Star and Nana Climber." Tabuu stated._

"Oh, that really narrows down the list! Hopefully it'll be Nana, I can take that twerp on any day." Mega Man grinned. "But how am I going to find her? I mean, I'm in space!"

_"Very close. Actually, a lot closer than you may think." Tabuu said._

Mega Man looked around, scanning the area for a light blue dress or a pink parka, but he didn't see either. He groaned.

"Tabuu, you better not be messing with me." Mega Man scowled. "Because if you are I'll blast your head off!"

_"That's impossible, Mega Man. I'm in your mind. The only way to get rid of me is to blast your own head off." Tabuu said, a wide grin on his face._

"Like I'm stupid enough to do that." Mega Man muttered, rolling his eyes. "Stop joking around and help me find her!"

_"I'm not allowed. This must be fair, so you have to find her on your own." Tabuu said._

Mega Man placed his finger on the trigger of his revolver. He spun around, hoping to see his opponent, but he didn't. He gritted his teeth, slowly getting irritated. The blue suit he wore also made it difficult to twist and turn, as he was half-robot. He continued to float around, sighing in boredom. He didn't want to kill anyone, but he just wanted to get it over and done with. He started doing back-flips in mid-air, and did that for about ten minutes before he saw an upside-down woman wearing a blue dress with a silver crown on top of her head. She had pale blonde hair and blue eyes, but only one was visible, because the other was hidden behind her hair. Rosalina.

"Mega Man?" Her soft voice spoke.

Mega Man stopped doing backflips and gasped. _Great...I got Rosalina... _He thought. He stared at the machine in her hands. It was dome-shaped, with a single red button on top of it. He could tell her hands were shaking.

"Hello, Rosalina." He said, pointing the gun at her chest. "I'm going to make this quick."

Rosalina flinched in fear. Mega Man felt awful for doing this, but he wanted to win. He wanted to keep on living. He closed his eyes, looked away and pulled the trigger. The bullet zoomed out of the trigger and accurately shot towards Rosalina's chest. The space princess screamed in fright and turned around, crouching down. While she was turning around her fingers pressed the red button, and at once a blue shield materialised around her. Both Rosalina and Mega Man gasped in shock as the bullet hit the shield, sending ripples swimming around it, before bouncing back towards Mega Man. He barely had time to duck before the bullet shot past him, disappearing in the distance.

"A reflector..." He whispered, surprised at the weapon. He looked back at Rosalina, who was just as shocked as he was. "That's some weapon you've got there, Rosalina."

"T-thank you." Rosalina's soft voice spoke. "M-Mega Man?"

"Yes?"

"The bullet's coming back again." Rosalina pointed behind Mega Man. He quickly turned around, but he didn't see anything. Rosalina smirked, floating towards Mega Man and bashing him in the head with her reflector. Mega Man cried out in pain. Not even his armour could protect him. He clenched his fists. Tabuu had deactivated it!

Rosalina floated backwards, cringing as Mega Man floated around dizzily, not exactly knowing where he was. She noticed he was vulnerable, and quietly floated over to his revolver. She reached her hand out for it, and Mega Man smirked. He lifted it up and shot at her. Rosalina screamed and quickly activated her reflector, the bullet immediately bouncing back. Because they were so close together, Mega Man couldn't dodge in time and the bullet went through his hand, coming out the other end. Mega Man felt the burning pain in his hand and screamed. He could easily fit one of his fingers through the hole that Rosalina made. With the hole in his hand, he couldn't hold his revolver properly. Rosalina watched with teary eyes. Mega Man, unable to control his rage, looked up at Rosalina and growled.

"You...stupid...bitch..." He whispered through gritted teeth, making Rosalina gasp in shock and back away. "You're...going...down..."

"Mega Man, it's the game." Rosalina answered, a little frightened.

"You're supposed to kill people, not torture them!" Mega Man yelled, raising his gun. "It's time to die."

He shot at her, but obviously he hadn't learnt from his previous mistakes because Rosalina simply activated her reflector and the same blue shield formed around her and the bullet bounced off once again. Mega Man easily ducked.

"Gah...I can't do any damage with that stupid shield protecting her." Mega Man scowled. "What can I do?"

He scanned the space princess. Maybe, if he was quick enough, he could jump next to Rosalina before she activated the reflector, trapping them both inside for about five seconds. Then he could shoot her and easily take her down! He smirked. But how could he get to her in time?

"Hey, Rosalina! Look." Mega Man let go of his gun and it floated around him. "Why don't you let go of your reflector and we can fight normally?"

"...No, I don't want to." Rosalina shook her head, holding the reflector close to her chest. Mega Man growled. He floated in front of the gun so Rosalina couldn't see it, then secretly picked it up and put it in his back pocket. He held up his hands so Rosalina could make sure nothing was in them, then he floated over to her.

"Stay back!" Rosalina cried. Mega Man kept floating towards her. Rosalina backed away. Mega Man smiled at her, before eventually pulling out the gun and hitting her with it. Rosalina cried out in pain and activated the reflector. Mega Man dived inside, the blue shield materialising around them both. Rosalina gasped. Mega Man pointed the gun towards her and grinned.

"Game Over." He said creepily, placing his finger on the trigger.

Rosalina had a look of horror on her face as she backed away, her back pressing up against the blue wall. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she squeezed her eyes shut, looking away. She clenched her fists and started whimpering. She shook in fear as Mega Man's grin widened, his finger slowly pressing down on the trigger. He aimed it at Rosalina, hoping his accuracy would be perfect. He still felt a little dizzy, however. He pulled the trigger.

**BANG!**

Rosalina screamed as she heard the bullet fly out of the gun. She waited for the pain...her Lumas would have to fend for themselves...the comet observatory would be left without a leader...she would die...

_Wow, this gun is taking a long time. _Rosalina opened her eyes and shrieked in horror. Mega Man was staring at her, his eyes widened, with a bullet-sized hole in his stomach. Blood leaked out of it, his face slowly getting paler. The blue shield disappeared and he fell backwards, floating. He was motionless.

"I...I won..." Rosalina whispered, picking up her reflector. She looked at Mega Man and smiled sadly. She walked over to him, placed the reflector on his stomach and pressed a small, yellow button that was next to the red one, which was impossible to see from far away. The blue shield once again materialised around him, but this time it stayed, even after five seconds. Rosalina gently pushed the shield and it floated away from her with Mega Man's body inside. "There. Rest in peace."

She sighed and turned away. It looks like she was alone...until round two. Tabuu had mentioned that it would have a different system...does that mean there wouldn't be head-to-head battles? Would they have to work together? Questions filled her head, but they all disappeared when a soft, unnerving voice spoke.

_"Congratulations, Rosalina." Tabuu said, communicating with her through the space princess' mind. "You have won, and you will move onto round two."_

"T-Tabuu? Thanks, I-I guess..." Rosalina said, not expecting Tabuu to start talking with her.

_"Mega Man was a tough opponent, wasn't he? You would be dead right now if it wasn't for his silly mistake." Tabuu said._

"Mistake? What mistake?" Rosalina asked, confused at what he was saying.

_"At the time he was about to shoot you, he was still very dizzy from when you bashed him in the head with your reflector." Tabuu said. "When he pulled the trigger, his accuracy was off, and instead of the bullet going through your head and instantly killing you, the bullet hit the shield, a centimetre away from your head. Because the weapon I gave you was a reflector..."_

"It bounced back and killed him instead!" Rosalina put the pieces together, gasping. "I was _that_ close to getting murdered?"

_"Yes, Rosalina. If you didn't hit him in the head that one time, Mega Man would have won, not you." Tabuu said._

"That's...that's..." Rosalina didn't know what to say. "I'll win for him. I'll win for him and all my Lumas back home."

_"That's great confidence, Rosalina. I'm proud of you. You're finally coming out of your shell." Tabuu smiled._

"Thanks, Tabuu. Also, what will happen in round two?" Rosalina asked.

_"Oh, that's a secret." Tabuu smirked._

"Oh, okay. Well, goodbye-" Rosalina began.

"DON'T LISTEN TO...I'M TRAPPED, HELP...HE'S NOT TABUU!" A voice screamed, sounding like it was struggling. Rosalina couldn't hear it properly, because the voice was cracking up. There must have been bad connection between her mind and whoever was trying to speak to her.

"...What was that, Tabuu?" Rosalina asked.

_"Oh, that? Heh heh...that was nothing. Just some idiot trying to get my attention." Tabuu chuckled nervously._

"Are you sure? Because I'm certain I heard something like, 'He's not Tabuu.' I must have heard it wrong." Rosalina said.

_"Yes, you did." Tabuu snapped. "Definitely."_

"Okay, no need to be-" Rosalina began.

"ARE YOU LISTENING? STOP HIM! HE'S NOT TABUU! I'M TABUU!" The voice yelled much clearer this time, and Rosalina heard every word.

_"Look, Rosalina, I've got to go." Tabuu said. "I'll speak to you again in the second round, along with everyone else."_

Rosalina didn't have time to say goodbye. Tabuu was gone. She thought about that strange screaming and yelling.

"What was that?" She said, getting suspicious. "...It's probably nothing. Just like Tabuu said, someone trying to get his attention. Heh..."

She floated around space, watching as the reflector got further and further away until it was just a dot in the distance. She smiled sadly.

"Goodbye, Mega Man."

**...**

Nana Climber, the young girl wearing her trademark pink parka, dragged her extremely heavy flamethrower through the abandoned school. Tables were upturned and most of them were broken, the legs spread across the dusty floor. Most of the classroom doors were living on one hinge, and it was almost impossible to traverse the setting without falling over once or twice every five minutes. The school was very small though, with the hall being about ten meters in length and height. There were only four classrooms too, so her opponent had to be somewhere. Nana worried for her life, and her brother's. The words 'only one can make it out alive' frightened her. That means at least her or her brother had to die...she had decided that if she was up against her brother, she would let him win. Popo was a lot stronger and determined than her, and he had a better chance of winning. _Wait...what if he's already dead? _Nana's eyes widened at the thought. _No...that would never happen to Popo. He's the strongest person I know. But...what if he is? What if, when Tabuu was reading out the survivors of round one, he didn't call out his name? _Nana started to whimper. She had to stop lying to herself...there's no way that either of them could win, especially with Ike and Ganondorf in the mix. How could a young girl defeat a power mad psycho? True, her flamethrower could do some good long-range damage, but Ganondorf would be able to take it! How many times has he been brought back to life? Like, five hundred! All she does is collect vegetables and occasionally beat up a polar bear. That's all she could do! _Ugh, you're so pathetic!_ Nana scolded herself. _You think you're SO great, just because you pick up some eggplants? _She just felt like finishing herself off right now, there's no way she could-

"Nana?" The girl opened her eyes as she heard the voice. She stared at her opponent in shock. He wore the same clothes as Link, but he was a lot smaller and looked kind of like a...cartoon?

"Toony?" Nana said, referring to Toon Link. He was best friends with her and her brother, and now she had to kill him. Or the other way around. She saw he had a bow strapped to his back, with the arrows being in a little pouch around his belt. A long-range weapon against a long-range weapon. Silence fell upon the school. Neither of them wanted to fight each other.

"Well, at least it's not Popo, right?" Toon Link chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, but Nana just stared blankly at him, like she was in her own world. "Er...Nana?"

He noticed a single tear started rolling down her cheek. She didn't wipe it off, she just left it there. It rolled down her delicate skin, leaving a faint stain before eventually evacuating her face to land on the floor. She pulled up her pink hood so Toon Link couldn't see her, and turned away. Toon Link could hear her quietly whimpering, but he didn't know what to do. He could finish her off quickly at that moment, but it wasn't right. It had to be fair. He started walking towards her, his boots echoing around the school. Nana heard him and spun around, trembling.

"Stay back." She warned, her voice hoarse. Her eyes were red from crying, and her hands shook as she lifted up her heavy flamethrower. Toon Link lifted up his hands.

"Nana, I don't want to fight you. Maybe we can think of a way to get out of here." Toon Link said, his voice soft and gentle not to frighten her. He kept walking towards her, getting closer and closer to the female ice climber. She slowly backed away, placing her finger on the trigger.

"I said stay back." Her voice started to get more serious, her eyes fixed on Toon Link. His eyes widened. This game had corrupted her. If he went one step closer, she might blast him with the deadly inferno. Toon Link breathed deeply. He would have to trust her.

"Nana, you have to listen to me. Don't let this game change you, don't let Tabuu defeat you. Please." He gently placed one foot a step closer to Nana.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Nana screamed, pulling the trigger. A wave of fire sprayed out of the weapon, going everywhere. She moved it left and right to create a bigger fire. Toon Link cried out in shock and dived to the ground, narrowly avoiding it. The fire caught on the top of his hat, singing it. He threw it off and stepped on it multiple times. The deadly inferno spread closer to him and he backed up against a classroom door.

Nana watched the mix of orange and red spread throughout the school. She backed away in horror, the heat being almost unbearable with her parka on. The sight of the wild inferno brought her back to that fateful day...her and her brother were only six at the time. They were both playing with their favourite stuffed animals happily, while their parents, Opop and Anan, their father and mother respectively, were sitting on chairs reading the newspaper. It was cold that day, so all four of them stayed in their warm cabin while a raging snowstorm was going on outside. It was all fine, until Nana accidentally hit over a candle that was resting on the table for warmth, setting fire to the carpet. At the time, neither her or Popo knew what was going on. Their parents tried to put out the fire, but it was just too bad and eventually all four of them were backed up against a corner. Their father spotted a window that was small enough for Popo and Nana to fit through, and he picked them up. Anan opened a large drawer, handing Popo and Nana two large, wooden mallets to protect them in the wild.

_"Don't worry, we'll come find you." Anan smiled sadly, handing them both a mallet each._

_"Just wait outside until we come out." Opop said, gently pushing Popo and Nana through the window. They landed in the soft snow outside._

They never came out. The raging fire was too much and it killed them both. The cabin was burnt down, leaving Popo and Nana helpless. After five days of sitting in the snow, both of them were very hungry, when Popo suddenly spotted an eggplant resting on a mountain. They both worked together to get it, and it all escalated from that, becoming the ice climbers that they were today.

That day never left her memory. It stuck around, haunting her mind for years, before eventually shooting back to her at that moment. She watched the fire get larger and larger. She tried to get her parka off but the rope tied around it was too tight. She struggled, but it was no use.

"HEEEELLLLPPP!" Toon Link cried in fear as he desperately tried to get the classroom door open. Nana gasped. She had to help him. She couldn't watch her best friend die! She dropped her flamethrower and ran towards the fire. Toon Link gasped.

"Don't worry, I'm coming!" She cried, gritting her teeth against the fire. She felt like she was being thrown in an oven and couldn't escape. She stopped, skidding along the floor. A huge wall of flames blocked her from Toon Link. She stepped backwards, not knowing what to do. She watched as Toon Link started to cry in fear, not wanting to die. She started to panic, noticing a large plank of wood leaning against the wall. It was risky, but she had to do it. She picked it up, almost falling with the weight of it.

"Nana, are you crazy!? Just forget about me!" Toon Link pleaded. He watched in dismay as Nana placed the wooden plank on a large stone block, which was high enough to barely protect the wood from the fire. She clambered onto it and stretched her arms out to keep her balance. Taking a deep breath, she started walking across the planks. "This is a fight! One of us is SUPPOSED to die! Don't you want to see your brother again!?"

"You're my best friend, Toon Link! I can't let you die to my crazy actions!" Nana cried, tears running down her face. She shuffled across the plank, when the fire suddenly caught onto it. It started spreading along the plank and Nana screamed in terror, backing away. She wasn't looking where she was going, however, and her foot slipped off the plank. She stumbled backwards, falling towards the fire. "AAAAAHHHHH!"

Toon Link ran forward, grabbed Nana's boots and pulled her away from the fire. She slammed into him and they both fell to the floor, black with soot. Nana coughed, slowly opening her eyes.

"You...you saved me..." She whispered. "W...why?"

"You saved me, Nana." Toon Link answered, burns all over his body. He flinched whenever he moved from the pain. "It's the least I could do."

"Toon Link...I-I..." Nana began, trying to blink away her tears. Suddenly, a wooden beam from the roof shifted because of the fire burning some of it off, and it broke free from the ceiling and started crashing down towards the hall. Fire had completely engulfed it and it was falling towards Nana and Toon Link at a quick pace. They both screamed in terror.

"Nana!" Toon Link cried, pulling her towards him. Both of their eyes widened in shock as the beam fell closer. Both of them were going to die. This is how it would end. Nana squeezed her eyes tight shut and hugged Toon Link in fear. Toon Link looked away from the beam, taking a deep breath. The beam plummeted towards them.

**CRASH!**

**...**

Roy growled at his opponent. The power-mad psycho, Ganondorf, stared back at him with an evil smirk. He had been waiting for blood for a long time. He held a throwing star in his hand, waiting for Roy's first move. The swordsman had a one-use bomb, which he held carefully to make sure it didn't accidentally explode.

"Roy...a wonderful kill. I can't wait until I impale you with this fabulous, sharp throwing star. One direct hit in the neck and it's goodnight for you." Ganondorf grinned.

"Bring it, you mental asylum patient!" Roy snapped. Ganondorf growled and ran towards him, surprisingly quickly. His eyes had an evil glint in them. Roy easily jumped out of the way and pressed a button on his bomb, launching it at Ganondorf.

He dived out of the way as the bomb exploded. It still blew him back a little, but not enough to harm him. Roy gritted his teeth and grunted._ Well, that's my weapon gone. _He sighed.

"You know, Roy, I always thought of you as a tough opponent." Ganondorf's grin widened as he got ready to throw a star at his neck. "But you're just as weak as Link."

"Thanks, that must mean I'm stronger than you." Roy said and Ganondorf growled. He launched a throwing star at the swordsman and it dug deep into his hip. Roy screamed in pain and slowly started pulling it out. Ganondorf took this time to kick Roy in the chest, sending him sprawling to the ground.

"Heh heh...say hello to Link for me." Ganondorf chuckled evilly, pushing one foot down on his chest so he couldn't move. He lifted up another throwing star. Roy squirmed around desperately. He kicked Ganondorf in the shin with all of his power and he groaned, stepping backwards.

Roy got to his feet and attempted to punch Ganondorf, but the armour he wore was too strong and it hurt Roy more than Ganondorf. He chuckled, shaking his head.

"Silly boy." He lifted him up by his neck and slowly started to squeeze. Roy tried to cry out but it was no use. He grabbed Ganondorf's hands and tried to pry them apart, but he had an iron grip. Roy couldn't breathe. His lungs burned, and his neck produced a pain he had never suffered from before. He swung his legs back and forth, trying to kick Ganondorf, but this time there was a steady distance between them. "Goodnight."

Ganondorf took one hand away from Roy's neck, but still kept a tight grip on it with his other hand. He slowly took a throwing star out of his pocket and moved it towards Roy's neck, ready to cut it. Roy knew it was now or never. Ganondorf swiped the throwing star at his neck but he moved his head to the left quickly, avoiding it. Then he bit down as hard as he could on his hand, and Ganondorf shrieked in pain, letting go of Roy and clutching his palm. Roy punched Ganondorf in the mouth and he groaned, stumbling backwards. Roy picked up a throwing star and sliced it across Ganondorf's throat. He started to make choking noises as he coughed up blood. Roy backed away and watched as Ganondorf fell to his knees. The swordsman approached him.

"You can say hello to Link yourself." Roy snarled, throwing Ganondorf's final star into his head. Ganondorf dropped from his knees onto the floor, dead. His eyes were still open, widened in shock. Blood dripped from his head onto the floor.

Roy sat down next to Ganondorf's body and closed his eyes. He lay down on the soft, green grass, and started to drift away from the virtual world, into his dreams.

**...**

_"You won't get away with this." Tabuu snarled at his captor. He was chained in a dark, secret room, with a chain attached to every limb. He couldn't escape because the chains were made out of his power, and he had none._

**"Haha, don't lie to yourself. You know I will. You betrayed me, and now you've got to pay." His captor snapped back.**

_"But what about the competition?" Tabuu asked, pulling on the chains as hard as he could._

**"Oh, don't worry. I know all your plans about the competition. I'm not mad at them, heck, I even helped them defeat you before, I'm only mad at you. I will send the victor home, I'm not that mean." The captor smirked, watching as Tabuu struggled.**

_"Please, let me go! I'm so sorry for almost sending Zelda home! I promise I won't do it again!" Tabuu cried, breathing heavily._

**"I can't risk that, Tabuu." His captor said with a mischievous gleam in his eye. "Besides, you'll be dead by tomorrow."**

_"W-what!?" Tabuu's eyes widened. "What do you mean!?"_

**"All your energy is gone, Tabuu. I have it now. You are useless to me now. Meaningless." His captor said, turning to leave the room. "Hey, Tabuu?"**

_"What?" Tabuu looked up, both angry and frightened._

"You shouldn't have betrayed me." The captor let out an evil, menacing laugh before switching off the lights and closing the door, leaving Tabuu in the darkness.

**...**

Nana and Toon Link sat in the cold, abandoned classroom, panting heavily. Both of their heads were resting against the old oak door. Toon Link had managed to open the classroom door and pull both of them inside before the beam landed, making a huge crash which frightened both of them. Nana slowly closed the door, not to see the fire and the destroyed hall.

"Th-thanks, Toony..." Nana said, managing a smile although she was in great pain.

"N-no problem..." Toon Link said, slowly getting to his feet. At first he stumbled, but then he regained his balance, despite needing a chair at first. He fumbled around, trying to get an arrow out of the pouch in his belt, but his hands were sweaty and he dropped it. Nana eyed him suspiciously.

"...Whatcha doing?" She asked, standing up and wandering over to him. Toon Link grunted in frustration.

"Trying to get an arrow, if you can't tell." He muttered, eventually gripping one. He slowly and carefully inserted it into his bow. Nana's eyes slowly widened. She had to think of a plan...

"Why?" She asked. Toon Link looked at her as if she was an idiot.

"Look, Nana, I know you're my best friend and I saved you earlier, but this fight has been dragged on for too long." Toon Link said, lifting up the bow. "I'm sorry."

Nana raised up her hands and slowly backed away, her eyes as wide as dinner plates. She couldn't lose. She had to win and see Popo again in the second round.

"Think, Nana, think!" She whispered to herself. Suddenly she had an idea. "Hey, Tabuu's telling you that, isn't he?"

"...What? No..." Toon Link raised an eyebrow in confusion, slowly lowering his bow. "I just want to win..."

"But Tabuu said that if two contestants weren't going to kill each other, he would force one of them. He's doing it to you, right? He speaking to you through your mind." Nana said.

"No, Nana, he isn't." Toon Link said, getting frustrated. He completely lowered his bow and let go of the string, the arrow falling to the ground. Nana smirked. "Why do you think that?"

"I just listen to the rules. Hey, Toony?" Nana said with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Game over."

She ran for Toon Link's dropped arrow and quickly picked it up. Toon Link gasped in shock and reached for another arrow. Nana lifted up the arrow and stabbed it into Toon Link's throat. Toon Link's eyes widened and he froze. He stumbled backwards, reaching out for the arrow that had been stabbed into his neck. He fell into a table and the arrow was pushed in more. Nana backed away and felt tears springing to her eyes as she watched her best friend die. Toon Link eventually fell to the floor. Nana crouched down beside him.

"Toony...I'm so sorry...but it's for Popo." Nana said, tears falling from her eyes. She wiped them and stared at his corpse. "I'll win...for you..."

She sat in silence for around five minutes, before a loud voice echoed throughout the school.

_"Congratulations, survivors! You have all made it to round two! These following ten have all lived through their fights and still have a chance of living..." Tabuu's voice could be heard. Nana gasped. This was the moment of truth. She crossed her fingers._

_"Snake."_

Nana didn't really care for him, she had only spoken to him once or twice. She shook her head and continued to listen.

**...**

_"Samus Aran."_

Snake gasped, before punching the air and crying out in happiness. Samus had survived! He would see her in the second round. He didn't care for whoever else managed to survive. He still listened closely, however.

**...**

_"Captain Olimar."_

"...Wow." Was all Samus could say. She didn't expect him to survive. It must have been against someone small and weak, like Popo or Nana.

**...**

_"Ike."_

Olimar nodded. So far, only strong, feisty people had made it through their battles. He still sat on the stump on top of the large tree. He listened out for the other survivors.

_"Link."_

Olimar was friends with him. He smiled happily. At least he had one ally in the second round.

**...**

_"Marth."_

Ike smiled. His good friend and great swordsman had survived. He hoped that in the next round it was a team sequence, and you had to kill other things and not each other.

**...**

_"Wii Fit Trainer."_

Marth shrugged. He hadn't spoken to her at all. She was a newcomer, after all. He was happy about Ike making it, though. It was coming down to the wire.

**...**

_"Rosalina Star."_

The trainer gulped. A good friend of Princess Peach. She sighed, putting her head in her hands. She had a lot of explaining to do..."

**...**

_"Nana Climber."_

Rosalina smiled. She was happy for her. She was surprised, but happy.

**...**

Nana gulped. There was only one name left. What if Popo wasn't called out? Tears started to form in her eyes. Then she shook her head and clenched her fists. She had to stay strong.

_"And the final survivor is..." Tabuu paused. "...Roy. Congratulations to the survivors. In a couple of minutes, you will all be sent to a large, abandoned house, where all of you will meet. It will be a team sequence. Many different enemies will appear in the house and outside the house, and if you want to live you have to fight them, this time without your weapons. However, for this round to finish and for the next one to begin, three of you must die. Good luck."_

Nana's lip trembled, before she eventually broke down in tears. Her brother was dead! The one person she cared for had been murdered...She wiped her eyes and looked up.

"I have to stay strong..." Nana said. "That's what Popo would want me to do..."

Suddenly, the school completely disappeared, leaving her in an empty, white void. She narrowed her eyes. She would win this.

_"Let round two begin..."_

**...**

**I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! Sorry for the length of it, but I wanted to upload a long chapter after a week of nothing. In the next chapter, round two will begin. In the chapter after that I will upload a poll on who your favourite character is. Please review, I'd really appreciate it!**


	5. Friendship

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed! In this chapter, round two will begin. Please enjoy!**

**...**

Nana noticed purple and green lines of data appearing and vanishing again very quickly, startling her. She floated backwards in the white void, moving her arms around to stop herself from falling, idiotically not realising she would just flip around. She noticed the new world laying out around her, where herself and the other nine contestants would be fighting. She wanted to quit, as her brother was dead, but she knew she had to keep going for him. She held her parka close, watching as the bland world materialised in front of her, revealing brown mountains with small patches of grass and an empty street with rubbish all over the road. Suddenly, all that disappeared and darkness engulfed her eyesight. She had no idea what was going on. She started to tremble in fear.

"H...hello?" Nana asked into the darkness, her voice cracking. "Is anyone there?"

"Phew, someone else is here!" The voice of Roy came. "Where are we?"

"In round two, idiot." Samus said with a bored, annoyed tone.

"Oh wow, really? I didn't know that. Thanks for telling me." Roy narrowed his eyes, quieting his voice. "...Bitch."

"So...I guess all of us survived, huh?" Rosalina said nervously, twiddling her thumbs.

"I guess so..." Wii Fit Trainer, still thinking of an excuse to give to Rosalina about Peach. It was still pitch black, and she couldn't recognise most of the voices.

"It looks like all of us have to work together this round." Olimar said, his voice calm and gentle. Rosalina and Nana had no idea how he could be so calm.

"But three of us still have to die..." Link said with a sigh. He knew he probably wouldn't make it through the round. He missed Zelda. He never even got to say goodbye.

It was all silent for a while, all of the survivors thinking about different things. They knew three of them would die that round...but who? Samus suspected the defenceless, weak people like Olimar, Nana and Rosalina. They stood in darkness for around five minutes, just standing silently. Snake started whistling loudly, and Samus groaned.

"Shut it." The bounty hunter snapped.

"Sorry." Snake said sheepishly, shrugging. Suddenly, the lights flickered on, frightening Rosalina, who jumped in fright. The dim light illuminated the room. They were in the foyer of a house. It had tables upturned, plant pots smashed, and rubbish all over the floor. A large, oak door was on the other side of the room, with two paths of stairs which forked to the left and right before coming together again on top. There was also a little corridor in the hall.

"Alright, listen up. We don't have our weapons, so we need to stick together and find some. The enemies Tabuu has created are likely very powerful, and fighting them with our fists won't work." Samus said. "But whatever you do, don't go outside into the street. It's probably dangerous."

"And who made you the leader?" Wii Fit Trainer placed her hands on her hips, looking at Samus. The bounty hunter sighed.

"Can we please not make this difficult? Let's just find some weapons, and-"

"Whoever wants Samus as a leader, please raise their hand." Wii Fit Trainer said, and Samus groaned. Snake, Olimar, Link and Ike raised their hands. "And who wants me as a leader?"

Marth, Roy and Rosalina lifted their hands, thinking because she was athletic she could protect them. Nana just stared at the wall, a blank expression on her face. She drifted back and forth. Wii Fit Trainer looked at her.

"...Nana?" Wii Fit Trainer waved her hand in front of the girl's face. "Nana! Who do you choose?"

"Trainer, give her a break. She's distressed over Popo's death." Link said.

"But we need a decision!" Wii Fit Trainer said, persistent. "Nana! Who do you want as leader?"

"...What?" Nana looked at her. "Samus, whatever!"

"Five votes for me, three votes for you." Samus smirked, folding her arms. Wii Fit Trainer scowled and folded her arms. "Alright, let's find some weapons."

They all nodded. Rosalina was gently shaking, frightened of what could be around the corner. She wiped her eyes and folded her arms. Nana looked at her sadly. The eskimo squeezed her hand for comfort and smiled.

"Don't worry, Rosalina. We'll make it out of this alive." Her voice was soft and gentle, calming Rosalina down a bit who glanced at Nana and smiled, wiping away the rest of her tears.

"T-thanks, Nana..." Rosalina said, looking down at her. "And...I'm sorry about Popo..."

Nana froze. _Popo..._The memories suddenly came flooding back to her. She started shaking and let go of Rosalina's hand, stumbling backwards. Rosalina gasped. She had wanted to forget about him and move on, but Rosalina just brought back everything. She tripped over and squealed, banging her elbow on a rock. She cried out in pain. Everyone turned to look at her.

"Nana! Are you okay? What happened?" Rosalina asked, rushing towards her and crouching down to help her. Everyone else just watched in dismay. Nana wiped away her tears and fiercely looked up at Rosalina.

"_You_ happened! You're not sorry, you don't care! Why did you have to remind me about him!? I wanted to forget! Just shut up, Rosalina! Shut up!" Nana shouted angrily, shoving Rosalina backwards.

"Woah, Nana! Calm down! We need to stick together!" Roy said, yanking her backwards by her hood. Rosalina placed her hand on the wall to regain her balance and sighed.

"Let go of me!" Nana tried to wriggle out of Roy's grasp but she couldn't, as he was too strong. She huffed and folded her arms.

"Keep her quiet. Something could be in this house." Samus whispered, placing her finger in front of her mouth. Everybody nodded.

Everyone began to search the dark house, except for Nana who had been tied to a chair by Ike with a piece of rope he had found. Wii Fit Trainer crouched down to see a pot lid, and she picked it up.

"I'll kill you all!" Nana shrieked, shaking vigorously to try and break free. Everyone ignored her. Olimar wandered into the kitchen and opened a drawer. He peeked inside and his eyes widened.

"I found weapons!" His voice echoed throughout the house. Everybody heard it. They all immediately dashed towards Olimar's voice, completely forgetting about Nana who was still tied to a chair near the entrance. She gasped and then blew a piece of hair around her head.

"I hate them all...they completely forgot about me and left me defenceless, tied to a chair...they don't care whether I die or not. I'm just a waste of space." Nana muttered.

She stared at the wall, listening to the clanging noises of the sharp knives as they made contact. Suddenly, she heard a brick move. Her head swung to the right extremely quickly. She was staring into a pitch black corridor. She felt nervous all of a sudden, thinking something was there.

"H-hello...is anyone there?" Nana asked, her voice trembling. Her hands got sweaty, and her gloves didn't help.

It was all silent. Suddenly, something small and red slowly rolled out from the shadows. Nana's eyes widened as she peered at it, not taking her eyes away. There were stars decorated all around it, and it was round. _A...ball? _Nana thought as she stared at it.

_"Teehee..." _

Nana looked up, taking her eyes off the ball. She stared into the corridor. She started to sweat. The ball remained still as she stared into the shadows.

"...R-Roy? Is that you?" Nana asked. "Stop playing tricks, I'm really scared right now!"

She couldn't hear anything. She desperately tried to undo the rope tied around her wrists, and she quickly looked away from the corridor to check the rope. After around five seconds she looked up again and shrieked at the sight of seeing a pair of pale, white hands slowly reaching out of the shadows towards the ball. The two hands were shaking as they reached out. Whoever it is they must be really thin, as their hands and arms were really bony. The hands hovered above the ball for two seconds, before quickly swiping it up and disappearing in the shadows once again.

_"Teehee..." _

"G-guys?" Nana glanced over to the kitchen door. "Guys?"

She looked back at the dark corridor to see nothing. Suddenly, the red ball with golden stars slowly rolled out from the shadows once again, stopping when it gently touched Nana's feet. Her eyes widened once again at the sight of seeing the ball and she glanced upwards, towards the corridor. She shrieked in fear when she saw a pair of eyes staring directly at her, not looking at anything else. Nana started to shake when she saw a large, creepy grin appear on the person's face.

_"Teehee...wanna play?" The voice said softly. _Nana now realised that it was a little girl's voice.

The face disappeared in the shadows. Nana's heart was racing. She leaned back her leg a little, hoping that if she kicked the ball back the girl was stop scaring her. She got ready to kick it, glancing upwards one more time. She screamed as she saw the little girl standing out of the shadows, smiling at her. She had long brown hair, with a fringe that almost covered her eyes. She was grinning creepily again, and she wore a white gown that went down to her knees. She didn't wear anything on her feet. She placed one foot forward, slowly walking towards her.

"Guys! Help me!" Nana cried in fear. The girl grinned even wider. She took one more step, before she let out a deafening roar and she flickered quickly towards the ice climber. Nana screamed as the girl's face appeared directly in front of hers, only a centimetre apart from each other.

_"Teehee. Let's play." _The girl gripped Nana's arm tightly. It was freezing cold. Nana tried to pull away but she had an iron grip.

"Guys! GUYS! HELP ME!" Nana screamed in terror as the girl yanked her away, out of the chair and into the shadows.

**...**

Olimar heard a faint scream in the distance that made his blood run cold. He froze up, clutching the knife he had tightly. _Was that...Nana? _He glanced at everyone else, who were still looking for the best knives.

"D-did you guys just hear a scream?" Olimar asked, trembling.

"No, why?" Samus looked at him in confusion, along with everyone else.

"I'm sure I heard a scream that sounded just like..." He paused, gulping in fear. "...Nana."

Everyone looked at each other, their faces going pale.

"We need to get back...now." Samus said and the nine broke into a run, dashing towards the entrance.

They all gasped to see the chair had fallen over, with Nana's ropes spread on the floor. They looked around but saw nothing.

"...Nana?" Roy asked into the darkness. Samus elbowed him lightly.

"Shush!" She growled. "The kidnapper could hear us."

"What if she's already dead?" Snake gulped. They all raised their knives, looking around cautiously.

"We need to look for her." Olimar said. "She could be in danger!"

"We never should have left her." Wii Fit Trainer folded her arms, scowling at Samus. "This is all your fault. You and your terrible leadership. If you never told us to find weapons, she would still be here."

"You could have stayed with her if you wanted to." Samus snapped.

"Now is not the time for arguing!" Olimar yelled. "We need to start working together right-"

"HEEEEEELLLLLPPPP!" A terrified voice screamed, sounding like it came from the dark corridor.

"Down there! Hurry!" Olimar cried, and the nine broke into a run, dashing down the dark corridor. They left the light of the main hall, plummeting into darkness. The voice suddenly stopped screaming. They all skidded to a halt, quietly walking forward.

"Be careful. Ike, Marth, you take the back. Me and Wii Fit will take the front." Samus ordered as they continued to walk down the corridor. "If only we had a torch..."

They continued walking for around five minutes before they saw a light at the end of the tunnel. As they got closer, Samus gasped as she noticed a familiar pink parka, stained with blood.

"Everyone, look! I see her parka!" Once again, without thinking, they all ran forward. They entered the light room. There was a chair in the middle of the room, with a little girl wearing a pink parka sitting on it, tied with ropes. Her head was drooping down, unable to see her face.

"Ngh...ugh..." The voice mumbled. Everyone suddenly had a spark of hope. Samus stepped towards her, crouching down.

"Nana, are you okay?" She asked, concerned for the little girl. No response. "...Nana?"

She shook her a little, but still no reaction. She looked back at the others with dismay. She glanced back at the girl. Now that she looked at her hard, Nana was a little shorter than the girl she was looking at. She put on a serious face.

"Nana, speak to me now." Samus ordered. Nana raised up her head, so her eyes were directly meeting Samus'. The bounty hunter screamed and fell backwards, scooting away.

_"Teehee!" _Nana giggled. Her face was deathly pale, and her hands were really thin and bony. A wide, abnormal creepy grin was plastered on her face, and her eyes were shining in excitement. It wasn't Nana. The girl teleported out of Nana's clothes, making everyone step backwards in shock. She was wearing a long, white gown. Nana's clothes fell to the floor. _"Let's play!"_

"Oh my gosh..." Rosalina raised a hand to her mouth, her eyes widening.

"What did you do with Nana!?" Ike yelled, stomping towards the girl. The girl grinned at Ike, clicking her fingers. Nana started materialising next to Rosalina, before she became a solid form. Nana fell to the ground, her eyes closed and her face pale. Her clothes were ripped and there were scram marks on her face and arms. She was breathing gently. She was badly wounded, but alive.

"Oh, Nana! I'm so happy you're alive!" Rosalina cried, dropping to her knees and holding the eskimo close.

_"I was just playing." _The girl said innocently._ "I was just a little rough."_

"Rosalina, stay with Nana. We'll deal with this little runt." Samus said, raising her knife along with the other seven. The girl grinned and giggled.

_"You wanna play too? Well, let's play." _The girl let out a maniacal laugh before teleporting quickly towards Roy. He growled and swiped his knife sideways, but the girl ducked and tripped him up.

He got up and tried to stab the girl in the arm but she swiftly dodged, catching the knife in one hand. Roy gasped, looking at the girl. She kneed him in the stomach and he groaned. Then she kicked him, sending him into the wall. She stepped on his arms, not allowing him to move. She raised the knife, laughing evilly.

"I don't think so!" Samus punched her in the face, making her sprawl to the floor. The girl growled and got back up, running towards Samus. As soon as the bounty hunter was about to punch her again, the girl teleported behind her. Not having enough time to turn around, Samus got kicked in the back of the head. She stumbled towards the wall, slamming into it with full force. She groaned as she slumped to the ground, barely conscious. Everyone gasped, realising how strong this girl was.

"That's it! Ike, help me take this horrible creature down!" Link yelled, running towards the girl quicker than usual and throwing her into the wall with huge strength. The girl groaned, stumbling to her feet. Ike crept up behind her, before punching her in the head. She let out a cry, falling to the floor. Tears fell down her face as she felt her head bleeding.

_"How could you do this to a little girl?" _She said, wiping her eyes with her gown. She stood up, looking directly at Link. Suddenly, she materialised into a familiar princess. Link gasped.

"Z...Zelda?" Link said in shock, his eyes widening.

"It's me, Link." Zelda smiled, staring into Link's eyes.

"No way! I'm finishing this right now!" Ike yelled, running towards 'Zelda'. The princess turned around and smirked. She disappeared as soon as Ike was about to stab her, and the swordsman ran past her, the knife embedding into someone else. Ike's eyes widened.

"Oh my gosh!" Rosalina shrieked, covering her eyes and looking away in fear. Everyone was staring wide-eyed, not knowing what just happened. Ike gasped, letting go of the knife and backing away. Link stared at Ike for a while, before slowly looking down and seeing blood dripping from his stomach onto the floor. His eyes rolled back into his head as he fell to the floor, breathing his last breath.

**...**

**I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Will the group manage to defeat the creepy little girl? Find out next time! Please review!**


End file.
